Abstract

With life altered irrevocably by the pandemic, Michael A. Rosen asks whether viruses might be geological agents Rosen, M.A., The year of (what is?) life. Geoscientist 30 (10), 8, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1144/geosci2020-114; Download the pdf here

Highlights

  • Hen our Society designated 2020 the “Year of Life”, who could have predicted how life would be transformed by COVID-19? Businesses and institutions closed

  • Composed of nucleic acids enveloped by a protein, viruses cannot metabolise or reproduce without a host cell. Their evolution may lack the “last universal common ancestor” (LUCA) that is theorised for cellular life

  • The sea slug, Elysia chlorotica long puzzled scientists. From which it incorporates chloroplasts into its tissues, stops eating to live solely by photosynthesis

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Summary

GEOSCIENTIST SOAPBOX

With life altered irrevocably by the pandemic, Michael A. Composed of nucleic acids enveloped by a protein, viruses cannot metabolise or reproduce without a host cell. Their evolution may lack the “last universal common ancestor” (LUCA) that is theorised for cellular life. How the chloroplasts remain intact within E. chlorotica lacking plant cell metabolism was baffling until discovery that the slugs produce essential plant proteins. Chlorotica lacking plant cell metabolism was baffling until discovery that the slugs produce essential plant proteins Millions of virus particles are released as the slugs decay Does this explain how photosynthesis evolved in a sea slug (by virus-aided horizontal gene transfer) but the retrovirus may control E. chlorotica’s full life cycle

Viruses in the biosphere
Viruses in the geosphere?
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