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Viruses as living processes.

John Dupré1, Stephan Guttinger1

  • 1Egenis, The Centre for the Study of Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Byrne House, St German's Road, Exeter, EX4 4PJ, UK.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
|March 21, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Viruses challenge traditional views of biological individuality by demonstrating symbiotic interactions with hosts. This research argues viruses are best understood as processes, not distinct entities, revealing nature's interconnectedness.

Keywords:
Life cycleMutualismProcess philosophySubstance ontologySymbiosisVirus

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Virology
  • Philosophy of Science

Background:

  • Traditional biological views define life by distinct entities with clear boundaries.
  • The omnipresence of symbiosis challenges these discrete views, highlighting systems stabilized by interactions.
  • Viruses have been excluded from these discussions, often seen as stable, individual entities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To contest the view of viruses as distinct, stable individuals.
  • To explore recent virology findings on virus-host collaboration.
  • To argue for a process ontology for understanding viruses and biological systems.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent findings in virology regarding symbiotic interactions.
  • Philosophical analysis of biological individuality and ontology.
  • Argumentation for a process-based view of viruses.

Main Results:

  • Viruses engage in symbiotic relationships, collaborating with hosts.
  • Evidence suggests viruses are integral parts of biological systems and processes.
  • Viruses can be conceptualized as processes rather than discrete entities.

Conclusions:

  • Viruses do not serve as counterexamples to process ontology but enable a deeper understanding of nature's interconnectedness.
  • The findings support viewing viruses as processes, reinforcing a collaborative view of life.
  • There are strong arguments for classifying viruses as living entities.