Authors' response The comments are insightful. We have revised the manuscript based on the review, especially the calculation of effective information of viruses. raised if viruses are therefore more primitive than rickettsiae, bacteria, fungi, algae, plants or animals. Indeed, a single cell alga is more complex than bacteria. Can gastrula be more advanced than a parasite in the gut of a termite? Can an organism like a viroid more primitive than free living algae? To prevent such issues, the domain of study and the scale of complexity must be clearly defined.