Researchers from Stanford University have made a sensational discovery: They found a completely new and previously unknown category of genetic entities in the human body, which they conditionally called "obelisks". These mysterious formations live in the mouth and intestines of each of us, and their nature calls into question the very definition of "life."
"Obelisks" are virus—like structures, but they are smaller than the smallest viruses and so simple that they do not meet the traditional criteria of a living organism. They cannot reproduce on their own and do not have their own cellular structure. However, despite this, they possess a key ability: their genetic material can be "read" by human cells. This means that cells can perceive information from the obelisks and possibly respond to it, although exactly how is still unknown.
"We had no idea about the existence of these things," the scientists admit. Their discovery was made possible by new, ultra-precise DNA sequencing techniques that allowed them to "see" what had previously been masked in the data. Science now faces a huge number of questions.: What do these obelisks do? Are they harmful, useful, or just "passengers"? How do they affect our health, our microbiome, or even our behavior? Are they part of our evolutionary past?
There are no answers yet. But one thing is clear: there is a whole invisible world inside us that we are just beginning to understand. Obelisks may be the key to a new era in biology and medicine.
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