Hi PLatt OK, forget viruses, as they are not strictly life. However, bacteria (single and multi-cellular organisms) are true life and constitute the majority of life on the planet. Bacteria are the bugs and super-bugs that Ian referred to.
Here's something from Wikipedia: "Bacteria, as asexual organisms, inherit identical copies of their parent's genes (i.e., they are clonal). However, all bacteria can evolve by selection on changes to their genetic material DNA caused by genetic recombination or mutations. Mutations come from errors made during the replication of DNA or from exposure to mutagens. Mutation rates vary widely among different species of bacteria and even among different clones of a single species of bacteria. Genetic changes in bacterial genomes come from either random mutation during replication or "stress-directed mutation", where genes involved in a particular growth-limiting process have an increased mutation rate. Some bacteria also transfer genetic material between cells. This can occur in three main ways. Firstly, bacteria can take up exogenous DNA from their environment, in a process called transformation. Often, the genes transferred are not from within the main bacterial chromosome, but are carried on a small circular piece of DNA called a plasmid. Genes can also be transferred by the process of transduction, when the integration of a bacteriophage introduces foreign DNA into the chromosome. The third method of gene transfer is bacterial conjugation, where DNA is transferred through direct cell contact. This gene acquisition from other bacteria or the environment is called horizontal gene transfer and may be common under natural conditions.[94] Gene transfer is particularly important in antibiotic resistance as it allows the rapid transfer of resistance genes between different pathogens." Bacteria are constantly evolving into new forms without human or other interference and thus constitute ongoing biological evolution. Horse moq_discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
