Question

why is it unlikely that viruses evolved before cells?

Answer 1

It is unlikely that virusesevolved before cells because viruses are nucleic acids in association withproteins, with protein capsule or without it. Viruses need organelles of living cells, their organic substrate (amino acids) and nuclear apparatus to build new proteins, to reproduce and to integrate themselves in cells genome. So, viruses could not survive to moment, when cells appeared, without them.