Definition of Life gets a bit fuzzier.
Feb. 18th, 2006 12:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
swestrupGenerally speaking, biologists have mostly drawn the life/non-life dividing line between the bacteria and the viruses. Now however, Mimivirus has seriously clouded the issue. The largest virus ever found, Mimivirus has 10 times the DNA inside it than many bacteria, and is leading some folks to re-evaluate the history of life. It may be that viruses are not parasitic latecomers but a holdover from another era that have (mostly) discarded unneeded genetic material as they adapted to their parasitic niche.
The article pointed to is also interesting in that it mentions viroids, the metaviral satellites (which prey on viruses as they prey on cells), two things which I had not heard of before.
Now personally, I'm not too shocked by all of this since I've usually drawn the life/non-life line between viruses and prions, but I still find it very interesting.
The article pointed to is also interesting in that it mentions viroids, the metaviral satellites (which prey on viruses as they prey on cells), two things which I had not heard of before.
Now personally, I'm not too shocked by all of this since I've usually drawn the life/non-life line between viruses and prions, but I still find it very interesting.
