2007-02-13 11:10:09 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
If we rule out prion and virus as not really living, given that they have to infect a living host cell to reproduce, then the smallest living organism is the smallest bacteria, and that is possibly Haemophilus Influenzae.
2007-02-13 11:16:16 · answer #1 · answered by Vincent G 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mini-Microbe
Discovered in Northern CA in a Shasta County mine
Surviving in water as caustic as battery acid
200 nanometers wide
2007-02-13 19:24:31 · answer #2 · answered by logon 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bacteria, but a virus when it embeds itself in a cell and start to live. You cannot say just "virus" becuase it is not a "life" form - it is not living. IT would be more accurate to say when it "uses a host to start living" :)
2007-02-13 19:57:45 · answer #3 · answered by lemon drops 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Opinions differ depending on whether or not a virus is regarded as alive.
If it is, your answer is the smallest virus.
Otherwise, it's the smallest single-celled creature.
2007-02-13 19:13:19 · answer #4 · answered by Curt Monash 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Certainly a virus. Although the designation of "life form" for a virus is disputed.
2007-02-13 19:12:30 · answer #5 · answered by Intrepyd 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I would go prions. Prions are "rogue" proteins that are able to "transform" their target proteins from normal proteins to other "rogue" proteins which tranform their targets...and so on. Mad cow disease is caused by prions.
If you consider viruses to be alive then you would have to think of prions as alive. Viruses are thought not to be alive because they cannot reproduce without a host cell.
Even smaller than prions are these "rogue" DNA sequences that target other DNA sequences to transform them.
But if you do not consider viruses to be alive then you would not classify prions to be alive either.
2007-02-13 19:31:19 · answer #6 · answered by Mike 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it's a mycoplasma.
Viruses don't count.
2007-02-13 19:25:20 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋