By Lottie Tajouri, Associate Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Bond University, Australia. Posted in THE Conversation
Viruses are the most common biological organisms on Earth. Experts estimate that there are about ten to the power of thirty of them, and if they were all lined up they would stretch from one side of the galaxy to the other.
They can be thought of as nature's nanotechnology: nanoscale molecular machines equipped with the means to invade the cells of other organisms and hijack them for culture. While the vast majority of viruses are harmless to humans, some can make a person sick and some can even be fatal.
Are viruses alive?
Viruses rely on the cells of other organisms to survive and reproduce, because they cannot capture or store energy themselves. In other words, they cannot function outside of a host organism, which is why they are often not considered living organisms.
Outside the cell, the virus wraps itself in an independent particle known as a virion. The virion can "survive" in the environment for a certain period of time, which means that it remains structurally intact and is able to infect a suitable organism if it comes into contact with it.
When a virion binds to a suitable host cell - this depends on the protein molecules on the surfaces of the virion and the cell - it is able to penetrate the cell. Once inside, the virus bursts the cell to make more viruses. The progeny of the original virus make their way out of the cell, usually destroying it in the process, and then go on to infect more cells.
Does this "life cycle" cause viruses to live? This is a philosophical question, but we can agree that in both directions they can greatly affect living beings.
What are viruses made of?
At the base of the virus particle is the genome, the long molecule made of DNA or RNA that contains the genetic instructions for the reproduction of the virus. It is wrapped in a coat made of protein molecules called a capsid, which protects the genetic material.
Some viruses have an outer envelope made of lipids, which are fatty organic molecules. The virus that causes COVID-19 is one of those "enveloped" viruses. Soap can dissolve this fatty envelope, which leads to the destruction of the entire virus particle. This is one of the reasons that washing your hands with soap is so effective!
What do viruses attack?
Viruses are like predators with specific prey they can identify and attack. Viruses that do not recognize our cells will not be harmful, and others will infect us but this will have no consequences for our health.
Many species of animals and plants have their own viruses. Cats have the feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV, a feline version of HIV, which causes AIDS in humans. Bats host many different types of coronaviruses, one of which is likely the source of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Bacteria also have unique viruses called bacteriophages, which in some cases can be used to fight bacterial infections.
Viruses can change and combine with each other. Sometimes, as in the case of COVID-19, they can switch host species.
Why are some viruses so deadly?
The most important viruses for humans are the ones that infect us. Some families of viruses, such as the herpes viruses, can remain dormant in the body for long periods without causing adverse effects.
The damage from the virus is not measured only by what it does to the infected body, but also by the extent of its spread, its stacking on the body's defense mechanisms, and its ability to replicate itself and spread to other carriers.
In evolutionary terms, there is often a trade-off between replication and damage to the host. A virus that replicates itself very quickly and kills its host very quickly will not have a chance to spread to a new host. On the other hand, a virus that replicates slowly and causes little damage may spread slowly.
How do viruses spread?
As soon as a person is infected with the virus, his body becomes a reservoir of virus particles that can be released in body fluids - for example by coughing and sneezing - or by penetrating the skin and sometimes even following contact with surfaces.
The virus particles may move to a new potential host or to inanimate objects. These contaminated objects may play an important role in the spread of the disease.
What is corona virus?
The coronavirus COVID-19 is a member of the coronaviridae virus family. The name comes from the appearance of the virus particles under a microscope: tiny protein bumps on the visible surface surrounded by a halo.
Other viruses were responsible for deadly outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China in 2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012. These viruses mutate relatively often in ways that allow them to be transmitted to humans.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
- How do you test for corona infection?
- The future of the corona virus - in the world and in Israel
- Corona has been declared a worldwide epidemic - what is the difference between a disease outbreak, an epidemic and a global disease?
- No country in the world is prepared to deal with the corona virus, and most of them are unable to receive data in real time
- The Corona epidemic - special coverage on the knowledge website
4 תגובות
A few years ago, a researcher named Kira Radinsky developed an algorithmic program in which she discovered the connection between the eruption of a volcano and the Ebola disease.
The eruption of a volcano caused a jump in the search for gold and diamonds, which led to deforestation for the mining industry. Deforestation causes the migration of bats, which in turn serve as carriers of the Ebola disease.
One thing she failed to predict - the reason for the eruption of the volcano.
The corona, like the volcano, is a phenomenon that occurs in nature.
Nature is a closed, harmonious system where each variable is related to the other.
Until today, we would attribute most of the changes in nature to ozone, to polluting animals like bats, and to the actions of humans.
Disappearing forces in nature are no guarantee that they do not exist.
How and in what form we will discover that our thoughts and intentions have a tremendous power that affects the phenomena of nature.
Maybe we'll find out soon.
When we become aware that the connections we built were egotistical.
That there is a force field in reality that affects and is affected by desires, thoughts and intentions.
And when we begin to understand and realize this, we will be on par with the forces of nature and then the corona will smile at us and say: hello friends, I did my part.
"Some viruses have an outer envelope made of lipids, which are fatty organic molecules. The virus that causes COVID-19 is one of those “enveloped” viruses –
I do not have special knowledge in medicine, but in light of the quote, the question arose for me: Is it possible to learn from this that drugs against lipids in the blood (for example: Norlip) have a positive effect in dealing with the corona viruses?
Can anyone give a professional statement on the matter?
May the corona virus end
Interesting article
Too bad the translation is confused:
Sometimes, as in the fourth paragraph, it seems as if it was translated by "Google",
Sometimes, as in the fifth paragraph, referring to the same virus in the same sentence, sometimes in the masculine and sometimes in the feminine,