A lot of differing views as to weather viruses are alive I don't think you could
come to any conclusion if you asked a number of biology teachers. Viruses have DNA
or RNA and are able to reproduce, though they need a host cell. they also follow all
of the rules for evolution so I think they are alive, though only in the most basic
of definitions. they are able to weaken them breading successive generations of them
together, all the interbreeding weakens them. And they can kill them with radiation.

David Fontaine wrote:

> Thomas Lake wrote:
>
> > Well the fact the it mutates does make it harder to make a vaccine for AIDS.
> > But the main reason is that what we normally consider a vaccine depends on
> > you have a healthy immune system. Usually the inject a weakened strain  or
> > dead viruses into your body. Then your immune system recognizes the virus
> > and produces an immune reaction and antibodies. Next time you get the virus
> > your body has the antibodies to recognize and fight it off. This is not
> > possible for HIV because of its vary nature. It hides away from the immune
> > system so you never develop immunity to it.
>
> They cannot inject dead viruses, and viruses cannot hide, because viruses are
> not alive ;-)
>
> > I believe current vaccine work
> > is being done on trying to block the proteins the virus uses to enter a
> > humans cells. This is quite different from a normal vaccine.
>
> Yes, that is what's being done now.
> As for the RNA being the reason why they can't make a normal vaccine; my biology
> teacher told me that so it could easily be wrong.
>
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