Bush of life: giant viruses can create energy (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, November 02, 2020, 14:19 (1481 days ago) @ David Turell

Do they have a metabolism?:

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2258107-viruses-have-been-shown-to-produce-their-o...

"A few giant viruses appear to generate their own energy, which viruses are not supposed to be able to do. Viruses usually consist of RNA or DNA wrapped in a protein coat or membrane, and rely on host cells to copy themselves. Giant viruses, first discovered in 2003, can be larger than bacterial cells and some have their own machinery for processes like copying DNA into RNA. Now researchers have found that some giant viruses known as pandoraviruses somehow generate an electrical voltage across their outer membrane. It takes energy to do this, which means these giant viruses must have a metabolism, but why they do so is still unclear. The finding will fuel an already fierce debate about whether giant viruses really are viruses, and if they are alive or not."

Comment: No real answers as yet