Step 1: Understand what a virus is. A virus is a tiny infectious agent that can only replicate inside the living cells of an organism.
Step 2: Learn about living and non-living things. Living things can grow, reproduce, and carry out metabolic processes on their own, while non-living things cannot.
Step 3: Recognize that viruses cannot perform these functions independently. They need a host cell to reproduce and do not have their own metabolism.
Step 4: Conclude that because viruses cannot live or function on their own, they are classified as non-living entities.
