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Old 13-05-2006, 09:22 AM posted to sci.bio.botany,sci.physics
Kye
 
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Default The lower limit of seed size to organize energy and produce a plant; what is it?

No. orchid seeds are not at all similar to viral particles.

Seeds of Orchidaceae use a mutually benificial, symbiotic relationship to
germinate as they dont carry their own food supplies and use the sugars
released by the actions of particular fungi to grow.

A virus uses the cells of an organism to duplicate its own DNA... there is
quite a marked difference.

Kye.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Charles wrote:
Read about orchid seeds. Too small to have any stored food, need a
fungus to feed them but they gave the genetic material necessary.

A.P. replies:
So in a sense, an orchid seed has become a viral particle that uses
fungus to regenerate itself.

Can we define a virus as a seed?