Biological dark matter

Biological dark matter is an informal term for unclassified or poorly understood genetic material. This genetic material may refer to genetic material produced by unclassified microorganisms. By extension, biological dark matter may also refer to the un-isolated microorganism whose existence can only be inferred from the genetic material that they produce. Some of the genetic material may not fall under the three existing domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota; thus, it has been suggested that a possible fourth domain of life may yet to be discovered, although other explanations are also probable. Alternatively, the genetic material may refer to non-coding DNA (so-called "junk DNA") and non-coding RNA produced by known organisms.

Biological dark matter

Biological dark matter is an informal term for unclassified or poorly understood genetic material. This genetic material may refer to genetic material produced by unclassified microorganisms. By extension, biological dark matter may also refer to the un-isolated microorganism whose existence can only be inferred from the genetic material that they produce. Some of the genetic material may not fall under the three existing domains of life: Bacteria, Archaea and Eukaryota; thus, it has been suggested that a possible fourth domain of life may yet to be discovered, although other explanations are also probable. Alternatively, the genetic material may refer to non-coding DNA (so-called "junk DNA") and non-coding RNA produced by known organisms.