giantvirus
Giant viruses represent a group of viruses that are significantly larger and possess more complex genomes than typical viruses. Their discovery challenged the traditional definition of viruses, which were previously thought to be much smaller and simpler. These viruses can be hundreds of nanometers in diameter, rivaling the size of some bacteria. Their genomes are also much larger, containing millions of base pairs and encoding hundreds or even thousands of proteins. This genetic complexity allows them to perform functions previously thought to be exclusive to cellular organisms, such as DNA repair and protein synthesis.
Giant viruses were first discovered in 2003 and are primarily found in amoebas, single-celled organisms. They