Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in microbiology, identifying an organism called Sukunaarchaeum mirabile that blurs the lines between viruses and cellular life. The unique entity, found in marine plankton, has a genome smaller than any previously documented archaeal genomes.
Sukunaarchaeum’s characteristics are distinct from both viruses and living cells. Like viruses, it shows dependence on its host for survival, but unlike them, it can produce its own ribosomes and messenger RNA. However, this minimalistic approach to biological functions suggests a profound dependence on its host, raising questions about the nature of life.
The discovery challenges traditional categorization of life forms and pushes the boundaries of our understanding of cellular life. Sukunaarchaeum’s behavior is neither fully virus nor living cell, but rather a unique category that defies clear definition. This finding offers insights into early forms of life and evolutionary processes that may have led to more complex organisms.
The researchers, from Dalhousie University in Canada and Japan, identified the organism during analysis of marine plankton genome. The team’s breakthrough discovery highlights the vast unexplored biological novelty within microbial interactions.
Source: https://indiandefencereview.com/straight-out-of-sci-fi-scientists-discover-a-new-organism-that-exists-between-life-and-death