Villarreal, Luis P. “Are Viruses Alive?” Scientific American, December 2004. In the article “Are Viruses Alive?,” Luis P. Villarreal discusses the effects of viruses on life, while presenting different angles as to whether or not they are alive themselves and arguing about the impact viruses have had on evolution. Through a deeper understanding of viruses and their functions, the scientific community may come to fully appreciate viruses, whether they are living or non-living in themselves, as significant
Viruses are a gray area to scientists. Are they living, or non-living? Viruses resemble seeds in the way that they carry the potential for life, but “they do not attain the more autonomous state of life” (Are Viruses Alive, Villarreal, Luis P). Viruses are living because they share similar traits to living organisms and they accomplish tasks that non-living things cannot. Viruses are bound to a state by birth and death. Scientists believe that life is defined by the ability to replicate, among
Influenza Influenza is also referred to as flu and it is a respiratory infection that is caused by viruses which are a significant cause of respiratory disorders in human being and range from seasonal, endemic and pandemic infections. These viruses pass through the airways and enter into the body via the mouth or nose. About 5-20% of the people in the US suffer from the flu every year. There are several strains of the virus and they have been known to cause pandemics that kill millions worldwide
For over a century, scientists have argued whether or not viruses are alive. A virus is a single or double strand of RNA or DNA enclosed by a protein coating that typically causes disease. When viruses are outside of their host they are inactive and seem dead. When inside their hosts, viruses become active and are capable of replicating internally and survive independently of their host. In order to determine if viruses are alive we must look at the criteria set for an alive organism and a dead one
Abstract: Microscopy has long been proven fundamental in structural biology, especially for the mechanistic understanding of virus cell architecture and macromolecular functions. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) is a variation of electron microscopy that allows imaging of viruses in cryogenic solution (i.e. ethane solution cooled to near liquid nitrogen temperature) without having to grow crystals or embed samples in heavy metal salts (i.e. negative staining), using electrons to focus specimens
screen for conservation of the target site in majority of target prediction databases like TargetScan, Miranda etc. Accessibility criteria are important as the particular target site should be accessible to the miRNA so as to be functional in the biological system. There may be targets but may not be accessible and unless they are accessible they will not have any impact in the system. At the target site where the miRNA is binding, at least three consecutive bases should be unpaired in the secondary
inserted several strings of computer codes that can destroy the function or date of computers. It can affect not only the computer which has been infected, but also a group of computers which are related to the infected one. Feature Though a computer virus is a virtual program or a section of executable code, it still seems like a biological virus, which have ability of self-propagation, mutual infection, and regeneration. Computer viruses can replicate themselves by a unique way. They can spread quickly
Prior to the use of chemical pesticides, predators which are natural enemies of those specific pests, was a significant subject in biological sciences with respect to agriculture and forest pest control. Biological control includes the use of predators, competitors, pathogens and compounds of biological origin. There are tremendous advantages of using bio-control compared to chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides). These include consumer/occupational safety
Viruses are especially adept at this. Helical viruses look rod shaped under a microscope and can be fixed or flexible (Gillen, 2007). Viruses lack the power to make up proteins and metabolize sugars and need a host to live. Viruses locally invade membranous tissue, replicates and grows and finally causes infection in the target organ (skin, lungs, or nervous system)
and both Brachial Neuritis and Guillain-Barre syndrome [pain and loss of nerve and motor function]” (Ellison). Now coming from the World Health Organization, they claim that however the above information could be true, it is very limited and has only been heard of a handful of times and really could not be traced back to that particular item causing it (Five Important Reasons). We are all at risk for “biological nasties” (Ellison). I think about my sister who used to be an addict and now refuses to