Ace Wendy's Training Test 2026 – Join the Team and Sizzle Your Success!

A basic characteristic of a virus is that it requires a living host to grow. Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they cannot replicate or grow outside of a host cell. They rely on host cells to provide the necessary machinery for their replication. This characteristic distinguishes viruses from other microorganisms like bacteria or fungi, which can grow and replicate independently in various environments. Therefore, option C is the correct choice as it accurately describes a fundamental feature of viruses.