Viruses still pose as one of the most highly debated areas of modern science. Many scientists believe viruses are not alive themselves, but they are just microscopic bodies that carry genetic information encoded within with only one goal, and that is to produce more of that genetic information (meaning more viruses). However, if viruses are ‘alive’ or not is still considered a grey zone in modern science, simply because there’s not enough evidence to neither agree nor deny that they are alive. However, viruses are extremely diverse and abundant in the entire world, in fact, there are more viruses on Earth than there are stars in this universe.
Not all viruses are inherently bad, many viruses actually exist within living organisms, humans included, they help defend and/or assist in bodily processes of that organism. However, they do so in the means for them to thrive and populate, and that ‘helping’ is but a side effect of those actions. Recently, it has been hypothesized that our own mitochondria in our bodies were viruses themselves as they contain their own DNA.
This is discussed under the endosymbiotic theory, which suggests that early Eukaryotic cells engulfed these viruses, providing them a safe place to stay, and sugar molecules, which in response, the viruses provided them with ATP and energy to exert. Which over the years was able to push for further complex eukaryotic living organisms to form.
For example, chloroplasts in plants, where they now are able to capture energy from the sun. Were once believed to be viruses that were engulfed by early eukaryotic plant cells. Over the years they created a symbiotic relationship and now chloroplasts will actually die without their host cell, as it has no way to get their own energy anymore.
While this is a difficult subject to discuss, given the uncertainty within the scientific community around it. I believe that to be able to communicate it to the public, we need to educate furthermore about the origins of where viruses come from and how they can both ‘help’ and/or ‘destroy’ living organisms.
References:
Society, M. (n.d.). Are viruses alive? Microbiology Society. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://microbiologysociety.org/publication/past-issues/what-is-life/article/are-viruses-alive-what-is-life.html
Villarreal, L. P. (2008, August 8). Are viruses alive? Scientific American. Retrieved March 5, 2022, from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/are-viruses-alive-2004/
Applied Plant Ecology Winter 2020 