Could viruses have existed on earth before organisms such as bacteria appeared?

Answer 1

Once inside a cell, a virus's genetic material takes over many of the cell's functions. It instructs the cell to producethe virus's proteins and genetic material. These proteins and genetic material then assemble into new viruses. Therefore, viruses could not exist without an organism, in which the virus attacks the organism's cell. (straight from a life science book)

~ Savannah (from Georgia)

I have then a question to Savanna. What did exist earlier: the prey or the predator? It was the prey because predators didn't exist yet. Ofcourse if there are no predators or parasites, then there are no prey, just living things. Now back to the virus, it is a parasite, or the predator if you want. It was clearly not able to be a cell in evolution, but it developed mechanisms to kill cells, eat it and reproduce itself and infect others. The cell was (and is) the more developed lifeform, able to support itself, unlike that other lifeform what then probably became the virus. Because of it's advancement it was more prosperous and their numbers became higher then their competitors. It competed with that other lifeform for nutrients. That other lifeform went then into a crisis, however, as with many examples in nature, some surveived because they became predator or parasite. Now I will explain something in nature that is similar: When plants begin to exist there was competition for nutrients water and... sunlight. Then there where plants that got better structural characteristics then others and grow higher, taking more sunlight. Those became trees and their lower competitors died. But a mistletoe or a vine did not and hitch a ride to the sunlight, stealing nutrients on their way. There are a lot of patterns in evolution and life similar, over and over again, even on many levels, and predator prey is one of them. And it's the same thing on the other edge of the universe. Basically we are all parasites, we take something away that is not ours. Even if it was unutilized sunlight or nutrients in the soil, there is a chance that it's taken away from another lifeform and then the competition starts to kickoff. Life did not start as their was suddenly, taadaa, a cell. A cell consist of several things that have their own distinct functions, working together as a cell. It's way to complex to just exists, especially unlikely of those distinct set of different functions it consist of. Therefore it's more likely that there was something before. Basically all life needs is a replicator. And I don't mean just mixing 2 different chemicals together to react to a new molecule, but something that is able to influence it's surroundings not to just create another chemical and be itself untouched (which is actually a catalyst) , but to a copy of itself. Because of that a replicator must be (or supported by) a catalyst for certain, Therefore to me a (pre)enzyme (being a catalyst) is the most likely candidate for being the first replicator, or at least the kickstarter

~ Eric (from Holland)

Answer 2

Virus needs a place to live and develop. They could not exist before organism as organism is the environment where they develop and grow.

Answer 3

People still don't know but scientist hypothesis says the answer is NO

I am 10 years old