Relevance:
Researchers have found the first known “Virovore”, an organism that eats viruses which may change our understanding of the role viruses play in the food chain at a microscopic level.
About Virovore:
- Identified as a species of protist that feasts on viruses.
- Virus-eating species of protists — Own kingdom on the tree of life and are not an animal, plant, or fungi, are now classified as Virovores.
- It is a species of Halteria – microscopic ciliates that populate freshwater worldwide.
- The microbe Halteria is a common genus of protist known to flit about as its hair-like cilia propel it through the water.
- It can eat huge numbers of infectious chloroviruses (infect microscopic green algae) that share their aquatic habitat.
- These organisms can sustain themselves with viruses, consuming many and growing in size.
- “virovory” – A virus-only diet –
- Virus are made up of nucleic acids, nitrogen, and phosphorus
- scientists now identifies that virovory helps in the physiological growth and even population growth of an organism.
Reference: Hindustan Times
