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Is the bacteriophage living? Please provide a response with a minimum of three sentences to explain your perspective or provide supporting information.

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Final answer:

Bacteriophages are not considered living organisms because they lack cellular structure and cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic activities outside of a host cell.

Step-by-step explanation:

No, bacteriophages are not considered living organisms. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria. Viruses are often considered to be on the border between living and non-living entities because they cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic activities outside of a host cell. They are composed of genetic material (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat, but they lack cellular structure and do not exhibit the characteristics of life such as growth, response to stimuli, or reproduction on their own.

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