GOVIRUSS

1. Why are viruses not exactly living or nonliving? Because virus’s can be stored away and be non-living, but can essentially come alive when the opportunity arises. 2. Give some examples of diseases caused by viruses. Polio, aids, flu, measles, chicken pox, genital warts, genital herpes. 3. What is the basic structure of a virus? (The two parts and their function) has two small parts, an outer capsid composed of protein and an inner core of nucleic acid. 4. Why are viruses like microscopic pirates? Because they hook on to other cells and essentially live off of them and inject their genetic material and pretty much hijack the cell because the cell replicates the injected material. 5. Why are viruses considered parasites? Because they live off of other cells. 6. Why are viruses considered OBLIGATE parasites? Because they do not live independently. They rely on other cells to live. 7. Why do viruses ALWAYS cause disease? Because they transfer their DNA inside the cell and it causes the cell to copy the DNA. 8. How do viruses "emerge" and "spread" each year? Give examples. Often from animals, for example the mad cow disease came from the meat of cows with the disease. 9. What is a virus vector? Give examples, Usually insects that carry disease from an infected individual to a healthy individual. A mosquito that sucks the blood of an HIV carrier and then sucks a non-HIV carrier, then they both have it. 10. What is the relationship of bird flu to birds? The birds carry it and infect the people, although the birds usually are not affected by the disease, but humans often die. 11. How does bird flu infect humans? Eating the infected birds, or close contact. 12. What is a pandemic? An infection or virus that effects people from all over the world. 13. Why is there fear that bird flu could cause a pandemic? Because they fear it may merge with another type of flue and easily travel from person to person and easily travel to countries of the world. 14. What action can we take to prevent a bird flu pandemic? Vaccinations are being studied but there is no cure. The countries are trying to eliminate all birds with the virus thus reducing the spread.