Viruses change every form of life. All life forms can be divided into two states, one that stores and second that acts upon information, to duplicate an organism (Levine 1992). They populate the world between the living and non-living, the ability to duplicate themselves and ones that cannot. Viruses are inherent in organization and their properties are many of secrets of life processes and life (Levine 1992). Viruses may be present in living organisms almost since the origin of life (Levy, Owens 1988). Evidence has showed that viruses can be found in many species, which means every species on this planet carries viruses (Levy,Owens 1988).
Most researchers had indicated that viruses have played an important role in understanding how cells functions over the years. Scientists identified the major factors contributing to viruses, such as DNA repair, translation of mRNA, transcription and elucidation of chemical nature of genes. (Levy, Owens 1988).
Viruses are regarded as phenotypic modification by the host cells. Through ageing, viruses incorporate host genes in their genomes and vice versa (Morse 1993).
Are viruses impossible feature of our life on earth or just a complex chemistry in life? Scientists have yet to state whether viruses are non- living systems or living systems in life. We argue in this discussion whether virus can be living or non living entities. What is a virus? Its roots come from the word Latin, known as “Poison”.
Viruses were first discovered in nineteenth century. Scientists discovered that certain disease such as foot-and mouth disease, rabies were caused by particles that resembles bacteria, however they have the ability to pass through fine filters that bacteria are not capable of. Viruses were...
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...s to produce virus specified products.
Works Cited
1. Carter, John. Saunders, Venetia. (2008). `Virology Principles and Applications`. Pg6-7.
2. Jalasvuori, Matti, Bamford, K.H. Jaana. Viruses and Life: Can there be one without the other? `Journal of Cosmology`. [August 2010]. Available (Online) Available from: [Assessed 20/11/2010].
3. Playfair, John. (1995). `Infection and Immunity`. Pg 7, 12.
4. Levine, J. Arnold. (1992). ` Viruses`. Pg1, 8.
5. Levy, A. Jan. (1998). `Virology`. Pg1,2,12
6. Mims, Cedric. (2004). ` Medical Microbiology`. Pg 39-30 Third Edition.
7. Morse, S. Stephen. (1993). `Emerging Viruses`. Pg 3-6.
8. Villarreal,P. Luis. Are Viruses Alive [December 2004]. (Online) Available from: Scientific American [Assessed 18/11/2010].
Viruses have been long considered to be a living organism. They have their own DNA which makes it a debatable issue of whether or not to categorize them as living. They require energy to replicate/ survive within a host cell and so they take control of various organelles including mitochondria. [1]
The word virus comes from the Latin word, poison. A virus infects a cell and into it, inserts its DNA. The virus then multiplies inside the cell and when enough of the virus has been produced, the newly formed viruses will break out into the body of the host, destroying the cell in the process. Variola major and Variol...
Orthopoxvirus variola is the virus responsible for the well-known smallpox disease. It belongs to the Poxviridae family which is further split into the subfamilies Entomopoxivirinae which only affects insects, and Chordopoxivirinae which infects vertebrae (Hughes). It is in group one of the Baltimore Classification since it possesses double-stranded DNA. This group also includes viruses in the Herpesviridae family, certain bacteriophages, as well as the mimivirus. The linear genome consists of approximately 186 kb pair and, like all orthopoxviruses, is about 200 nm in diameter (Li; Riedel). Virus particles may be enveloped, but the majority will be nonenveloped when released from a lysed cell, ready and capable to affect another. Extracellular enveloped viruses evolve from their precursors intracellular enveloped virus and cell-associated enveloped virus and contain proteins that aid the virus in neutralizing host cell antibodies to enhance virus spread (Smith). Entrance into the host cell may be accomplished by fusion of endocytosis, contingent on the particular strain. Host cell cytoplasm is the site of poxvirus replication, therefore host nuclear enzymes are unavailable to the virus; to overcome this, DNA-dependent RNA polymerase enters the host with the virus (Hughes).
evolved from other forms of life. The origin of viruses is an easy thing to
Flanagan, J.M. “Host Epigenetic Modifications by Oncogenic Viruses.” Nature Publishing Group, 19 Dec. 2006. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. .
Viruses are the simplest and tiniest of microbes, and are made up of proteins, nucleic acid, and lipids. The nucleic acids contain the genetic code that helps them grow and reproduce, but only once they find their way into a living organism. Viruses themselves are not considered living organisms because they don’t have cells, they don’t metabolize nutrients, produce and excrete wastes, and they can’t move around on their own. The remains of the nucleic acid then forms a covering, called the capsid. Once the capsid gets removed, viruses use the building materials of th...
Viruses have majority nonliving characteristics with little to none living characteristics. They do not have a cellular organization, metabolism,
...ving things carry viruses in their cells. Even fungi and bacteria and inhabited by viruses and are occasionally destroyed by them. A virus makes copies of itself in a cell until eventually the cell gets pigged with virus and pops and the viruses spill out of the broken cell. If enough cells are destroyed, such as they do in the case of Ebola, the host dies. A virus does not "want" to kill its host. That is not in the best interest of the virus, because then the virus may also die, unless it can jump fast enough out of the dying host into a new host.
Viruses are the smallest, simplest living things, smaller than bacteria, and the cause of some of the deadliest diseases known to humanity. They are composed chiefly of nucleic acid wrapped in a coat of protein and are able to multiply only from within living cells. As with all other organisms, the virus depends for its ability to obtain energy and carry out the other processes necessary to sustain life, upon its stock of DNA, the hereditary material that makes up the genes, the "instructions" that determine the traits of every living organism. What is interesting about viruses, however, is that their genetic stock is very meagre indeed, so much so that reliance upon it alone cannot enable them to survive. Nonetheless, viruses do persist from one generation to the next, as if they were alive. How this is managed, as it clearly is in both plants, animals and human beings, bears importantly upon the ways in which "life", at least in the case of viruses, may legitimately b...
In the 1950s, a majority of the people were concerned about the things circulating in their everyday lives that they could not see: germs. These fragments of bacteria were intimidating and seemed impossible to stop. “The two most feared germs are bacteria (one-celled microorganisms) and viruses (ultramicroscopic or submicroscopic agents). During the decade, researchers made great strides in the understanding and control of these tiny enemies. In 1947, sixty viruses were thought to contribute to human disease; by 1959, seventy-six new ones had been identified.” (encyclopedia 3). As time went on, no one knew how to describe the fear they had acquired from the virus, as well as the sickness they had experienced.
Viruses have emerged as causes of foodborne disease, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Viruses cause a wide range of diseases in plants, animals and humans. These infections do not occur at random: each group of viruses has its own typical host range and cell preference. Viruses were probably always a cause of food borne disease; however with recent developments in detection we are now able to confirm the presence of viruses. Previously, those outbreaks may have been recorded as having an unknown causative agent.
In the next essay, "Thoughts for a Countdown," Thomas discusses further how all cellular life on this planet is interconnected and similar. He discusses the custom that was prevalent throughout the Apollo program that astronauts returning from space would be ushered into isolation wearing surgical masks. The implication is, of course, that the astronauts may have brought a strange virus.
The semi-alive virus like substances standing between life and non-life could have served as the bridge for the evolutionary passage from non- life to the realms of life. The discovery of biogenetic formation of hydrocarbons and the laboratory synthesis of amino-acids have given some experimental evidence to the hypothesis of the evolutionary origin of life. And with the advance of biochemistry and genetics the hypothesis seems to gain ground. The appearance of life marks a critical point in evolution. Life is not merely matter complicated or the pre-life of minerals just upgraded. There is something “profoundly original about life”
There are many virus’ and diseases known to mankind that have existed for many centuries. Some have cures whereas others sadly do not. Some may show symptoms and again others may not.
My interest in the role of microbes and viruses began from UG classes (1993-1999) wherein professors taught us...