Scientists Discovered a New Creature That Exists Between Life and Not-Life

You will learn this story while reading:

• Viruses are not typically considered ‘living’ because many basic biological functions are outdated to hosts. However, a newly discovered organism seems to be carrying the line between the virus and the cell.

• Like a virus, this new organism ‘Sukunaarchaeum Mirababil’ is an outspective of its host, but it can still form its own ribosomes and RNA.

• The genome is also surprisingly smaller and about half of the next smallest archaeal genome (238,000 base pairs).

At first glance, creating a definition “life”Sensient animals are accepted in the tree of life until unilateral organisms with reproductive ability, but other Organisms that challenge this understanding like viruses. Since the virus does not grow, is not reproduced on their own or does not make their own energy, they are often excluded from the definitions of life. However, after a virus is transmitted, it is extremely active and may be responsible for the events that change the world (see: Spanish flu, Ebola, Covid-19, etc.).

However, life is complex and this controversial categorization of “life” and “life” may have gray areas in it organisms It seems to challenge the expectations of both camps. Recently, scientists have found a new member of this head. In a new article published Biorxiv Researchers in the server, Canada and Japan summarized how they define a new cellular being, which has seen the typical definitions of a virality and cellular life.

Currently, ‘Sukunaarchaeum Mirababil’ (after a god in Japanese mythology known in small size), this being includes genes to form its own ribosomes and ambassadors. RNA– Something is missing your typical virus. However like A virus discharges certain biological functions into the mansion and appears alone to reproduce itself.

“The genome is deeply peeled, almost all recognized metabolic ways, and first codes the machines for the repetitive nucleus: DNA Reproduction, transcription and translation. ” This shows that an unprecedented metabolic dependence level on a host is a situation that defies functional distinctions between minimum cellular life and viruses. “

The team led by Ryo Harada, a molecular biologist of Dalhouse University in Halifax, was successful in this strange creature while examining the bacterial genome of Deniz Plankton. Cithates Regius. In the genomic data, Harada and his team found a DNA cycle that did not match any known species. Finally, they found that the organism belonged to Archeea, a group associated with prokaryotics. cellBut which eukaryotic cells (ie you and me) finally landed a few billion years ago.

Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Sukunaarchaeum is to reduce excessive genome with only 238,000 -based DNA pairs. Viruses, Live science Watch out, it can contain hundreds of thousands More It can reach base pairs and even millions. As for the archaea, the smallest known complete genome This group extends to 490,000 base pairs, ie the Sukunaarchaeum contains less than half of the base pairs of the smallest archaeal genome.

The authors wrote, “The discovery of Sukunaarchaeum pushes the traditional limits of cellular life and emphasizes the widely undiscovered biological innovation in microbial interactions,” he wrote. “Further investigation of symbiotic systems can redefine our cellular understanding and reveal more extraordinary life forms. evolution. “

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