There’s an interesting one-pager in the March 1-7 issue of New Scientist about the ability viruses have to ‘fuse’ themselves with other cells. In doing so, they create a cell mass containing genetic material from the individual cells, thereby creating a ‘different’ organism–a kind of ‘the whole is greater than it’s parts’ sort of thing. The fusion is possible because of a protein called syncytin, which comes from a virus.
We carry a lot of ‘junk’ DNA around in us. Did it come from viruses no longer needed–no longer used–or perhaps, viruses that failed to accomplish anything useful to the development of multicellular life forms? It’s something I found interesting.
I found it interesting because, while trying to research autoimmune conditions (I have 2 nieces, one with scleroderma and one with lupus. One of my Father’s brothers died with lupus), I came across a condition called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, wherein injured tissue turns into bone. Could this also be the result of a virus ‘gone wrong’ but carried in us, nonetheless.
Since I’m not an expert in either evolution or genetics, I thought I’d pose the question here. What do you know/understand about the possibility that our bodies are the result of simple viruses?