What are living and nonliving reservoirs?
Viruses are both living as well as non-living. They have reservoirs of genes. A one nucleotide is a unit of gene. Viral genes make use of host raw material (non-living elements/organic moieties/ water etc.,) containing elements to synthesize organic molecules or macromolecules. Subsequently, viruses replicate themselves thereby replicate within the living cells. On crystallization, they become non-living and can stay in this state for years unless they enter again into a living host to multiply. Certain plant viruses are transmitted to the progeny by seeds. Viruses evolve as any other living being. Thus, now virus names are written in italics like binomial/trinomial names similar to scientific name of any other living organism i.e. Tobacco mosaic virus (read as italic).