In simple terms: a virus is a tiny package of genetic instructions with a delivery system. Outside a cell it is metabolically inert. Once inside a susceptible cell, it redirects the cell's machinery ...

When people talk about the coronavirus, they sometimes describe this invisible entity as if it has a personality and even a conscience. If you ask a biology or medical student what a virus is, they ...

For decades, biology textbooks have drawn a firm line: viruses are not alive. They lack the machinery to reproduce on their own, they carry no metabolism, and they depend entirely on host cells to ...