Panspermia, Octopuses, and Comets 3/6
Evolution driven by retroviruses and extraterrestrial octopuses
In the cosmic vision of life typical of panspermia, viruses, particularly retroviruses, have primary importance.
Retroviruses from space
Viruses are biological “machines” extraordinarily effective and, at the same time, incredibly small. They have dimensions in the order of tens or hundreds of nanometers, often less than the wavelength of visible light. The strands of nucleic acids, DNA or RNA, of which they are composed are protected by a protein shell called a capsid. Viruses are essentially parasites, capable of entering any type of living cell and reprogramming it for their purposes, that is, for the maximum possible spread of the viral agent, often to the detriment of the host’s health and survival, as the current COVID-19 pandemic is sadly confirming.
Organisms on the border between life and the inorganic world, viruses enclose a surprising density of information in a tiny space and equally surprising power of control over the living world. From this point of view, retroviruses represent true excellence.
Once penetrated a living cell, a retrovirus uses the enzyme DNA polymerase to generate DNA from its own genome, enclosed in an RNA strand. It is the…
