A virus is a tiny infectious agent that can enter living cells and cause diseases in humans, animals, or plants.
From Latin “virus,” meaning “poison” or “slimy liquid.” Scientists later borrowed the word to describe infectious particles too small to be seen with normal microscopes.
Viruses are so simple that scientists still argue whether they’re truly alive. Computer scientists borrowed the word because digital viruses spread through systems almost exactly like biological ones spread through populations.
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