Question

Give one property because of which viruses are regarded as being on the borderline of the living and non living.

Answer 1

Viruses are considered to be a borderline because of their inertness outside the host cell or being or acting as a non-living component or equivalent. When inside the human body or any other effective host machinery it divides and reproduces making endless number of copies by itself, so, being a living being at the same time of entrance. They also don't have the power of irritability and the power of being motile or motility. It always requires a vector for transfer from one host to the another one. They are belonging as a obligate parasite and are a virion (as they are inert) and can be crystallized and stored for indefinite periods of times.
Another point, which is not often noted, it lacks a biosynthetic machinery required for liberating energy, thus, lacking the ability to liberate and store energy in their viral bodies. Particularly, the virus never tends to grow. So, it is a borderline between the living and non-living components.

Answer 2

Explanation:

Viruses are considered at the borderline of living and non-living because they show both the characteristics of a living and a non-living. As they react like non-living in the free atmosphere but when they enter the body of a living organism then they show the features of a living organism and start reproduction. Some special features of being a living are that DNA and RNA codes are present in them. some special features of being non-living are that they do some functions like excretion and can't multiply by own.