Viruses as precursors of cellular life
Keywords
Flag Inappropriate
Delete Content
Viruses as precursors of cellular life
Rather than being derived from existing cells or cellular genetic elements, viruses may have existed before cellular life. Self-replicating units in the ancient virosphere may have gained the ability to form membranes and cell walls, leading to evolution of the three domains of life. Viruses then continued to evolve with the evolving hosts.
This image is linked to the following Scitable pages:
How did viruses evolve? Are they a streamlined form of something that existed long ago, or an ultimate culmination of smaller genetic elements joined together?
Comments
CloseComments
Please Post Your Comment