Source: wikibot/endogenous-retrovirus
= Endogenous retrovirus
{wiki=Endogenous_retrovirus}
Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are sequences of viral DNA that have integrated into the genomes of a host organism, typically a vertebrate, and have been passed down through generations. They are remnants of ancient viral infections where a retrovirus successfully invaded the germline cells (the reproductive cells) of a host, allowing the viral genetic material to be incorporated into the host's DNA.