A classmate argues that the three domains of life should be four domains, with the fourth domain containing viruses.Which is not an appropriate response to this argument?
A)Viruses are certainly derived from living cells, but because the different viruses evolved multiple times from different ancestors, they don't belong in a shared, single domain.
B)The rapid mutation rate, which results in rapid evolution of virus genomes, tends to cloud evolutionary relationships over long periods.
C)The tiny size of many virus genomes restricts the phylogenetic analyses that can be conducted to relate viruses to cellular organisms.
D)Some biologists do not consider viruses living organisms, because they are not cellular but depend on cellular organisms for basic life functions such as metabolism and reproduction.
E) Viruses often are inserted into a host's genome, making it impossible to distinguish between viral DNA and host genomic DNA.

Question

A classmate argues that the three domains of life should be four domains, with the fourth domain containing viruses.Which is not an appropriate response to this argument? 
A)Viruses are certainly derived from living cells, but because the different viruses evolved multiple times from different ancestors, they don't belong in a shared, single domain.
B)The rapid mutation rate, which results in rapid evolution of virus genomes, tends to cloud evolutionary relationships over long periods.
C)The tiny size of many virus genomes restricts the phylogenetic analyses that can be conducted to relate viruses to cellular organisms.
D)Some biologists do not consider viruses living organisms, because they are not cellular but depend on cellular organisms for basic life functions such as metabolism and reproduction.
E) Viruses often are inserted into a host's genome, making it impossible to distinguish between viral DNA and host genomic DNA.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

E is not an appropriate response because the ability of viruses to insert their DNA into a host's genome does not directly relate to the argument about classifying viruses into a separate domain of life. This statement does not address the fundamental criteria for defining life or the classification of organisms into domains.

A Classmate Argues That the Three Domains of Life Should