Full of questions

That is great, very interesting...thank you !

Yes, that is true...so, is evolve right then? Or is it mutate? Thank you for your answers. I feel I am being swarmed and do not fully see through. Is the argument really there or is it a sneaky way of using words? Is it scientifically correct that a virus can evolve?

I thought so but was told viruses are intracellular parasites which use host cell machinery to make their components. Apparently a new virus starts as a situation known as “antigenic shift”. The old virus has not evolved as such but a new virus has been created. Most but not all work on viruses has been carried out on influenza.<br style="font-style: italic; background-color: rgb(230, 243, 223); ">When two different strains of influenza infect the same cell concurrently, their protein capsids and lipid envelopes are separated, exposing their RNA, which is then transcribed to mRNA. The host cell then forms new viruses that combine their antigens. This goes beyond my knowledge but I am not sure this is right

I am way away from my school days and my scientific knowledge is a bit rusty. I am currently in a debate about if a virus can 'evolve' and I always thought it could. It is true or am I wrong? Any answers truly appreciated