Certain non-viral organisms possess the simplest possible genetic structures.
the verdict
SUPPORTED
the evidence backs this
refutedsupported
the weight of evidence
3 sources for · 0 against
AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Peer-reviewed microbiological studies report that non-viral free-living cellular organisms like Mycoplasma genitalium possess the smallest known genomes and gene complements among independently replicating cells.
flat animals) have the simplest structure of all animals. They are a basal form of free-living (non-parasitic) multicellular organism that do not yet have
Marine life, which is also known as sea life or ocean life, refers to all the marine organisms that live in salt water habitats, or ecological communities that encompass all aquatic animals, plants, algae, fungi, protists, single-celled microorganisms and associated viruses living in the saline water of marine habitats, either the sea water of marginal seas and oceans, or the brackish water of coa
Opinions differ on whether viruses are a form of life or organic structures that interact with living organisms. They are considered by some to be a life form, because they carry genetic material, reproduce by creating multiple copies of themselves through self-assembly, and evolve through natural selection. However they lack key characteristics such as a cellular structure generally considered necessary to count as life. Because they possess some but not all such qualities, viruses have been described as replicators and as "organisms at the edge of…
The Minimal Gene Complement of Mycoplasma genitalium | Science
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Contents
## Abstract
The complete nucleotide sequence (580,070 base pairs) of the Mycoplasma genitalium genome, the smallest known genome of any free-living organism, has been determined by whole-genome random sequencing and assembly. A total of only 470 predicted coding regions were identified that include genes required for DNA replication, transcription and translation, DNA repair, cellular transport, and energy metabolism. Comparison of this genome to that of Haemophilus influenzae suggests that differences in genome content are reflected as profound differences in physiology and metabolic capacity between these two organisms.
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## References
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BAILEY C.C., AN UNUSUAL GENE CONTAINING A DNAJ N-TERMINAL BOX FLANKS THE PUTATIVE ORIGIN OF REPLICATION OF MYCOPLASMA-GENITALIUM, JOURNAL OF BACTERIOLOGY 176, 5814 (1994).
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BASEMAN J.B., ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MYCOPLASMA-GENITALIUM STRAINS FROM THE HUMAN RESPIRATORY-TRACT, JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY 26, 2266 (1988).
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BORK P, EXPLORING
Global Transposon Mutagenesis and a Minimal Mycoplasma Genome | Science
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Contents
## Abstract
Mycoplasma genitalium with 517 genes has the smallest gene complement of any independently replicating cell so far identified. Global transposon mutagenesis was used to identify nonessential genes in an effort to learn whether the naturally occurring gene complement is a true minimal genome under laboratory growth conditions. The positions of 2209 transposon insertions in the completely sequenced genomes of M. genitalium and its close relative M. pneumoniae were determined by sequencing across the junction of the transposon and the genomic DNA. These junctions defined 1354 distinct sites of insertion that were not lethal. The analysis suggests that 265 to 350 of the 480 protein-coding genes ofM. genitalium are essential under laboratory growth conditions, including about 100 genes of unknown function.
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## Supplementary Material
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Everything we examined (3) — 2 independent sources
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.