[nabla9]

It's not an artifact of the human mind.

Organism's genes (and phenotype) that is transmitted sexually are easy to separate from viruses and bacteria. Of course there is some mixing, like retroviruses, but the distinction is not artificial.

[teaspoons]

viruses transmitted within species could be viewed as part of their host's genotype, regardless of whether their genomes are incorporated into the germ-line. When you catch a cold for instance, you have particles of another human's body inside you replicating