3 ms·
Yes, although they are relatively simple compared to other organisms, viruses are still extremely complex when compared to the simple organic compounds you'd ex
by chongli 7y ago
Yes, although they are relatively simple compared to other organisms, viruses are still extremely complex when compared to the simple organic compounds you'd expect to form spontaneously in a pre-biotic world.
That is what makes all the difference. It's an enormous leap to go from a couple of amino acids to something able to survive and evolve and compete against other complex organisms.
- mirimir 7y agoYes, agreed. It is possible, I suppose, that remnants of other "starts" could have survived somewhere that's totally inhospitable to ours. Or perhaps, so different that they're not even food. Discovering them would be very difficult, though. I mean, we have a hard enough time with all those "unculturable" bacteria. We only know them now through DNA technology.