What is Mimivirus?
Q: What is Mimivirus?
A: Mimivirus is an extra-large type of virus with a complex and large genome.
Q: How was APMV discovered?
A: APMV was discovered accidentally inside the amoeba Acanthamoeba polyphaga and seen in a gram stain, where it was thought to be a gram-positive bacterium.
Q: What is the full name of APMV?
A: APMV's full name is Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus.
Q: What is Mimivirus commonly referred to as?
A: Mimivirus is commonly referred to as "mimivirus" in speech.
Q: Was Mimivirus the largest virus known until recently?
A: Yes, until October 2011 when Megavirus chilensis was discovered, Mimivirus was the largest known virus in terms of capsid diameter.
Q: How did Mimivirus get its name?
A: Mimivirus was named "mimicking microbe" due to its large size and Gram-staining properties.
Q: Is Mimivirus a single species or a group of related viruses?
A: Mimivirus is either a single species, Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV), or a group of phylogenetically-related large viruses (MimiN).
