Biggest Virus Yet Found, May Be Fourth Domain of Life?

[n2doc]

Christine Dell'Amore
National Geographic
Published July 18, 2013

Scientists have found the biggest viruses known, and these pandoraviruses have opened up entirely new questions in science—even suggesting a fourth domain of life, a new study says.

Each about one micron—a thousandth of a millimeter—in length, the newfound genus Pandoravirus dwarfs other viruses, which range in size from about 50 nanometers up to 100 nanometers. A genus is a taxonomic ranking between species and family.

In addition to being huge, pandoraviruses have supersize DNA: 2,500 genes as compared with 10 genes in many viruses. (Get a genetics overview.)

Microbiology was similarly upturned about ten years ago when scientists found the genus Mimivirus—the first large virus of its kind at about 0.7 micron.

more

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/07/130718-viruses-pandoraviruses-science-biology-evolution/

[yodermon]

1. I for one welcome our Pandoravirus overlords! n/t

[matthews]

2. I was a littoe fuzzy in my understanding of that 'fourth domain' thing until I went and

read this article. It made this article even more interesting. (The link is in the article you posted too.)

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Virus-Infecting Virus Fuels Definition of Life Debate

James Owen
for National Geographic News
August 22, 2008

The discovery of a massive virus that suffers from another virus has reignited debate over whether the microscopic agents of infection should be considered living things rather than bags of genes.

Earlier this month scientists reported a new strain of giant virus called mamavirus, which was first detected in amoebas from a water-cooling tower in Paris.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/08/080822-giant-virus.html