virns

Virns are a fictional class of microscopic, life-like entities commonly described in speculative biology and science fiction. They are imagined as simple, gel‑like structures that can process energy and information at nanoscale, enabling rapid adaptation to changing chemical and physical conditions. The term virn is often used to denote a single organism, while virns denotes the collective.

Origins and etymology: The name blends ideas from virus-like replication and nerve-inspired signaling, and is used more to illustrate concepts than to describe a real lineage.

Biology and physiology: Virns have a semi-permeable membrane containing a minimal catalytic set. They lack a true genome but can store information in reversible molecular motifs. Metabolism is chemotrophic, extracting energy from redox gradients; movement occurs by localized polymer rearrangements or ambient flow.

Life cycle and reproduction: Division occurs by fission or budding; some variants exhibit a quorum-assisted growth, coordinating behavior with others of their kind.

Ecology and significance: In fiction, virns populate porous mineral matrices, hydrothermal-like systems, or wet caves; they are used to explore origin-of-life questions, information theory in biology, and the ethics of creating synthetic life.