Scientists discover new type of life form
Scientists just discovered Sukunaarchaeum mirabile, a tiny marine microbe with a very small genome.
Its DNA is so stripped down—just 238,000 base pairs—that it can't survive on its own and has to borrow almost everything from its host.
Microbe has genes for copying DNA, making proteins
This microbe has genes mostly for copying DNA and making proteins. It's got the basics of a cell but relies on its host like a virus does.
Genetic analysis shows it belongs to an entirely new branch of Archaea, making it something we've never seen before.
Challenges our understanding of life
Sukunaarchaeum challenges our old-school ideas of what counts as "life."
It sits somewhere between independent cells and viruses, pushing scientists to rethink how we define living things.
This could change how we classify life—not just on Earth, but maybe even when searching for life beyond our planet.