• deranger@sh.itjust.works
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    13 hours ago

    One of the theories how organisms switched from RNA to DNA is due to viruses. Viruses have a pretty wild range of their genetic diversity. Single strand DNA, double strand DNA, positive sense single strand RNA, negative sense single strand RNA, double strand RNA. We’ve also probably got viruses as a permanent part of our genome from some ancestor species.

    I think they’re pretty cool. Also, they do respond to outside stimuli, otherwise they’d be completely inert.

    • theunknownmuncher@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      We’ve also probably got viruses as a permanent part of our genome from some ancestor species.

      We definitely have viruses as a permanent part of our genome. A type of herpes virus is present in the DNA of all living things descended from bony fishes

      • kadup@lemmy.world
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        12 hours ago

        Mammals wouldn’t have a chorioallantoic placenta at all if not for a virus integrated into our genome. Mapping when in evolution the genes responsible for placental development first appeared was my first participation in scientific research, so I love this topic.

    • Rivalarrival@lemmy.today
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      13 hours ago

      Also, they do respond to outside stimuli, otherwise they’d be completely inert.

      Do they actually respond? Or is it the external stimuli responding to them?

      • deranger@sh.itjust.works
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        12 hours ago

        They respond because they have to do things like inject the genetic material into the organism once it latches on to whatever on the cell surface. That doesn’t occur in the host, it occurs in the virus.

        It’s been a while since I took virology, but I feel pretty confident that something occurs in the virus due to an external stimulus.