The following is an edited excerpt.
Viruses can acquire fully functional immune systems, according to new research that bolsters the controversial theory that viruses are living creatures.
Until now, scientists thought that viruses existed only as primitive particles of DNA or RNA, and therefore lacked the sophistication of an immune system.
The study, published in the journal Nature, is the first to show that a virus can indeed possess an immune system, not to mention other qualities commonly associated with complex life forms.
Read the full article here: Viruses Pass Major Test to Enter Ranks of Living
