Mysteries of the Virus :: essays research papers

Introduction to viruses: For centuries submicroscopic organisms, also known as viruses, that grow and multiply at different rates inside of a cell, have been circulating our planet.1 The cell produces the various, essential components of the virus. These components are: 1) DNA or RNA nucleic acids, which are the genes of the virus. Viral particles posses either DNA strands or RNA strands, but never both in contrast bacterial infections contain both. The amount of DNA/RNA in a virus changes depending on the type of virus. 2) A protein which is extremely important in a hazardous virus because is provides a strong, protective barrier as the virus passes from cell to cell.2 Viruses do not contain the enzymes and metabolic pressures needed for self-duplication. The missing components are taken from the host cells they infect. Replication begins when the virus enters the cell. The enzymes remove the coat of the virus, and the RNA or DNA particles come in contact with the ribosomes in the cell. The virus then finds the protein by using the nucleic acid. Several new RNA or DNA strands are made. Once the cell has exceeded the maximum number of strands, it then bursts open and the new particles find new host cells. The process is then repeated.3 The following is a list of the many ways viruses can be classified: 1.) Whether viral particles contain RNA or DNA strands. In some cases there are retroviruses. That is when a RNA virus enters the cell, then converts to a DNA virus. 2.) Whether the genome is single stranded or double stranded 3.) For single stranded RNA viruses, the code for a protein could be positive stranded or negative stranded. 4.) The genome may be linear or circular and may be in a single segment or multiple segments. 5.) The size and overall shape of the virus. 6.) The effects of the viruses.4 Viruses can directly cause damage to the cells by seizing the cells metabolic resources and/or by producing toxic components which interfere with their normal functions. These viruses will generally make what is known as a cytopathic effect (CPE) in tissue culture cells. Viruses can also cause cells to alter their components making them targets for anti-cellular viruses such as AIDS.5 II. An In-Depth view â€Å"Infectious diseases are the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause worldwide...† but, â€Å"we only spend 1% of our health-care budget on prevention,† claims Dr. David Satcher.6 For years scientists have been complaining about the amount of government money spent on virus prevention. Within the past twenty years, more than 30 new virulent types have been discovered, like Lyme Disease, Legionnaire’s disease, AIDS, and Ebola.7 For the past couple of years, scientists