Possible origin of viruses

Question

Comment on the possible origin of viruses. Is it not curious that the human cell welcomes a virus in and hospitably removes its coat as if it were an old acquaintance?

Answer 1

Viruses are infectious microscopic molecules that cause disease in bacteria,plants,and animals. A virus contains RNA or DNA as its genetic material. Several theories of the origin of viruses are out there in the scientific community. One of the theories is that viruses are the evolved from the degenerate cells and have lost theeir ability to multiply or replicate. Another is viruses have evolved from mobile genetic elements .

Answer 2

Viruses are smart. They are very good at mimicking us. Most likely they are like an old friend. Look at the RNA world hypothesis, our origin is likely in virus like particles which carried only RNA and depended on external forces to replicate.

I would not be surprised to learn whatever allows them to gain entry to our cells and our DNA is part of how life came to be. Of course this is conjecture, we do no know for sure how life began or how viruses arose, but the evidence is indeed compelling, especially given how fast viruses mutate.

https://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/ellington_03