Bacteria live in all parts of the human body, like in your stomach to help
digest food, and on your skin to help boost your immune system. They can
also live on their own, not attached to another living organism. We now
know how viruses infect humans, can viruses live on their own, not
attached to an organism? Why or why not? (answer discussed in video) *
Your answer

No, viruses cannot live on their own, and they cannot reproduce on their own. In fact, they lack cytoplasm, organelles, AND nuclei! This has led many scientists to question their status as living or nonliving. They must rely on other organisms to survive, and today many regard their "living" status as one between living and nonliving. Also notable is how they cannot reproduce on their own; they have to inject their DNA/RNA into other organisms, and they cannot create their own energy.