Viruses+WG

1. Why are viruses not exactly living or nonliving? Because they are essential chemicals that can be stored on a shelf, but when the opportunity comes they can replicate inside cells 2. Give some examples of diseases caused by viruses. Some diseases are colds, flu, measles, chicken pox, polio, rabies, AIDS, genital warts, and genital herpes. 3. What is the basic structure of a virus? (The two parts and their function) there are two parts. The first part is an outer capsid composed of protein units and an inner core of nucleic. 4. Why are viruses like microscopic pirates? Because the commander the metabolic machinery of a host cell. 5. Why are viruses considered parasites? They are considered parasites because they are acellular, or not composed of cells. 6. Why are viruses considered OBLIGATE parasites? They are considered that because they don’t live independently. 7. Why do viruses ALWAYS cause disease? They all have virus particles that are 4 times smaller than a bacterium, which is about a hundred times smaller than a eukaryotic cell. 8. How do viruses "emerge" and "spread" each year? It emerges by being transported from one location to another where it has not been before. It then spreads from southeast Africa to the United States each year. Give examples. The west Nile virus is making headlines because it has changed its range, being transported into the United States and taking hold in bird and mosquito populations. (SARS) was clearly transported from Southeast Asia to Toronto, Canada. 9. What is a virus vector? A virus vector carries a disease from an infected individual to a healthy individual. Give examples. If a virus transmitted by a rare species of mosquito can now be transmitted by a rare species of mosquito can now be transmitted by a more common species, a disease could spread more easily. 10. What is the relationship of bird flu to birds? Birds can become infected by coming into contact with the saliva, feces, or mucus of another infected bird. 11. How does bird flu infect humans? Also known as “jump the species”, infects humans that had been in close contact with infected birds. 12. What is a pandemic? A pandemic is the spread of a flu virus or disease that goes global at an unprecedented rate, or a (disease that occurs worldwide). 13. Why is there fear that bird flu could cause a pandemic? Because the two viruses could meet in the persons body and swap genes with eachother. 14. What action can we take to prevent bird flu pandemic? We can take drugs, but they are faulty. They also do programs to remove the infected and potentially infected birds.