Mysterious Organism Blurs Line Between Virus and Cell Life
A newly discovered organism, named Sukunaarchaeum mirabile, has scientists questioning the definition of life. Unlike viruses, which outsource many functions to their hosts, this microbe can create its own ribosomes and RNA, but it also relies heavily on its host for metabolic processes. The genome of Sukunaarchaeum is surprisingly small, containing only 238,000 base pairs, … Read more