Viruses - How do they form in nature? What role do they play in the nature of things?

I know in general terms that Viruses many times smaller than living cells and are considered semi-life forms, containing genetic instructions, sheathed by a protein coating waiting to invade and replicate and spread within healthy cells.

I'm wondering how viruses evolved in the first place? and what role they play in nature? (is it to cull the weak?)

Viruses - How do they form in nature? What role do they play in the nature of things?vista

Viruses likely evolved just like RNA did. Nucleotides likely formed and were put together (there's something about nucleotides coming together on hot clay, which replicates the earth's surface at the time. Somehow, a protein coat evolved because it was more beneficial to have one...and voila! A virus is born.

Of course, I'm not entirely sure if that's how it happened, but it's a possibility.

Are you asking what a virus' purpose is in the grand scheme of things? It most certainly is not to cull the weak then. That's thinking in terms of human...er, organismal lines. The purpose of anything is to spread it's genes. As you know, a virus will inject it's genetic code into healthy cells and use that cell to replicate its own code. When it eventually kills the cell, it can cause it to lyse, or burst, sending out even MORE viruses.

In nature, yes, they do help with natural selection though...

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