Girus
Encyclopedia
A girus is a very large virus
. They are giant nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (giant NCLDV), having unique genes not found in other life, with separate phylogenic tree for those genes. A notable example is the mimivirus
.
The giruses have been controversially proposed as the fourth phylogenic domain
of life
. (this domain would be separate from the proposed polyphyletic organization of all viruses into a domain for clerical purposes).
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
. They are giant nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (giant NCLDV), having unique genes not found in other life, with separate phylogenic tree for those genes. A notable example is the mimivirus
Mimivirus
Mimivirus is a viral genus containing a single identified species named Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus , or is a group of phylogenetically related large viruses . In colloquial speech, APMV is more commonly referred to as just “mimivirus”...
.
The giruses have been controversially proposed as the fourth phylogenic domain
Domain (biology)
In biological taxonomy, a domain is the highest taxonomic rank of organisms, higher than a kingdom. According to the three-domain system of Carl Woese, introduced in 1990, the Tree of Life consists of three domains: Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya...
of life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
. (this domain would be separate from the proposed polyphyletic organization of all viruses into a domain for clerical purposes).