Sign In | Sign Up | Help | Invite    
Advanced Search Ask A Question Community Recent Changes
My:             Contributions   
Contributors
{for ul in pageInfo.page}
${ul.nickName}
{var al = toBreakWord(ul.adUrl,18)} {if ul.adSentence !=''}${ul.adSentence}
{/if} {if ul.adUrl !=''}${al}
{/if}
 
{/for}
Earn Free Advertising   +   Earn Money By Writing What You Know at WISTEME.COM
Question Discussion History

Edit
    Question ID:   5913         Current Version: 1
Question: What are viruses?
Category: Science > Biology
Keywords: virus, virion
Type: what
Rating:(0 ratings)    Views: 1003    Discussions: 0   In Watch Lists: 1  

 
    Answer:

Viruses are among the smallest microbes, much smaller even than bacteria. Viruses are not cells. They consist of one or more molecules of DNA or RNA, which contain the virus's genes surrounded by a protein coat. Viruses can be rod-shaped, sphere-shaped, or multisided. Some viruses look like tadpoles.

Unlike most bacteria, most viruses do cause disease because they invade living, normal cells, such as those in your body. They then multiply and produce other viruses like themselves. Each virus is very particular about which cell it attacks. Various human viruses specifically attack particular cells in your body's organs, systems, or tissues, such as the liver, respiratory system, or blood.

Although types of viruses behave differently, most survive by taking over the machinery that makes a cell work. Briefly, when a piece of a virus, called a virion, comes in contact with a cell it likes, it may attach to special landing sites on the surface of that cell. From there, the virus may inject molecules into the cell, or the cell may swallow the virion. Once inside the cell, viral molecules such as DNA or RNA direct the cell to make new virus offspring. That's how a virus infects a cell.

Viruses can even "infect" bacteria. These viruses, called bacteriophages, may help researchers develop alternatives to antibiotic medicines for preventing and treating bacterial infections.

Many viral infections do not result in disease. For example, by the time most people in the United States become adults, they have been infected by cytomegalovirus (CMV). Most of these people, however, do not develop CMV-disease symptoms.

Other viral infections can result in deadly diseases such as AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever. 

Read more questions from WISTEME through
     Add to MSN Add to My AOL
 Rate this Question
   Add to Groups   Add to Watch Lists   Share Question
                          
 
    More Readings :
[QID:880]    What is HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)?  
[QID:827]    What's the difference between viruses and bacteria?  
[QID:3094]    What are computer viruses and other "infections"?  
[QID:1245]    Why are shellfish and salads especially "friendly" to viruses?  
[QID:5083]    What is Western Equine Encephalitis?  
[QID:2453]    What are microbes?  
[QID:5934]    How are microbes transmitted?  
[QID:5093]    What do I need to know about St. Louis encephalitis?  
[QID:5092]    What is La Crosse encephalitis?  
[QID:4465]    Do I need a prescription for an antibiotic to treat colds, flu or sore throats?  
     Question ID:  ${question.id}         Current Version:  ${question.version}

{for qh in questionHistory} {if qh.status == 'r'} {else} {/if} {/for}
Version Contributor Date (ET) Voting
${qh.version} ${qh.nickName} ${qh.date} Rejected
${qh.version} ${qh.nickName} ${qh.date} {if qh.status != 'c'} {if qh.status == 'a'} Approved {else} {if qh.rstatus == 'c'} On-going {else} Pending {/if} {/if} {else}   {/if}
Start a New Topic
ID Topics Replies Latest Post (ET)
{if dlist!=null} {for d in dlist} {/for}
${parseInt(d_index)+1} ${d.sentence} ${d.replyNum} ${d.lastestDate}
{else}
No discussion topic.
{/if}
Label Name:
 
Group Name:
 
 
{else}
     You have no group.
{/if}
Advertisements
{if advertisements.length > 0} {else} {/if}
{for ad in advertisements}
${ad.adTitle}
${ad.adSentence}
${ad.adUrl}
{/for}

Home | About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Browse Questions | RSS Feed

Copyright ©2010 WISTEME LLC. All Rights Reserved.