Excluding certain bacteria like Chlamydia, which type of infectious agent is a non-cellular obligate intracellular parasite consisting of genetic material in a protein coat?
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Virus
Viruses are unique because they lack the machinery to reproduce on their own, essentially 'hijacking' the cells of a host to make copies of themselves. Because they aren't technically alive by standard biological definitions, they are often described as 'organisms at the edge of life.'
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- What non-cellular infectious agents consist of genetic material inside a protein coat and must live as obligate intracellular parasites?