The following points highlight the two main theories on living hypothesis of viruses. The theories are: 1. Organism Theory 2. Molecular Theory. Theory # 1. Organism Theory: The supporters of the living hypothesis argue that growth and reproduction are chief distinctive characteristics of living things (organisms). Viruses possess both. They grow, reproduce and undergo mutations and become adapted to the [...]
In this article we will discuss about the classification of viruses. It is still in a fluid state. Whether viruses are plants or animals is purely an academic question and difficult to answer with any assurance. Perhaps they are neither. According to the commonly accepted view, the viruses represent the transition stage between the living and non-living world. In other [...]
In this article we will discuss about the history of plant virology. In 1879, Adolf Mayer (Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Wageningen, The Netherlands) was the first to study this disease of tobacco. He is credited as the first person to transmit tobacco mosaic virus by using the extracts from the diseased plant as the inoculum to the [...]