SO ENDS this brief summary of the discovery of Polintons. These are very unusual creatures that are thought to transition between naked DNA transposons and viroids. It is worth remembering that we have so far only discovered less than 1% of the estimated number of virus species that exist. And these we both very numerous and very large. Also worth remembering is that only a small fraction of (known) viruses cause disease, and many have played key roles in the evolution of life on this planet. And, finally, there is an ongoing farcical discussion of whether viruses are even alive.
linkedin post 2022-06-29 05:12:48
Nigel Fleming
September 21, 2022