The recent discovery of an organism named 'Sukunaarchaeum mirabile' is challenging traditional definitions of life by exhibiting characteristics of both viruses and cellular organisms.

This organism was identified by researchers from Canada and Japan while studying marine plankton, specifically Citharistes regius, leading to the discovery of a unique loop of DNA that does not match any known species.

Notably, 'Sukunaarchaeum mirabile' has an extremely small genome consisting of just 238,000 base pairs, which is less than half the size of the smallest known archaeal genome.

Unlike viruses, this organism is capable of creating its own ribosomes and RNA, yet it still exhibits a significant metabolic dependence on a host for certain biological functions.

The findings underscore the potential for uncovering more unique life forms through microbial interactions, which could ultimately reshape our understanding of cellular evolution.

The discovery of 'Sukunaarchaeum mirabile' suggests a significant level of metabolic dependence on a host, blurring the lines between minimal cellular life and viruses.