4 ms·
Wouldn’t a virus be hard-selected for short, efficient genetic code? They are so tiny that extra base pairs must have an enormous effect on their physical and m
by ericbarrett 6y ago
Wouldn’t a virus be hard-selected for short, efficient genetic code? They are so tiny that extra base pairs must have an enormous effect on their physical and mechanical condition.
- globular-toast 6y agoIt really depends on the virus. Some like the famous bacteriophages have relatively large DNA genomes and they are the most abundant viruses on Earth. There are also giant viruses with genomes bigger than some bacteria. It's all very strange. This leads people to think these viruses evolved via different mechanisms. Some are likely ancient and have been around since before other life started using DNA while others seem to be more like highly specialised bacteria that have lost their own ability to reproduce (hence rendering them viruses).