Hepatitis B virus

influenza virus evolution is not new. In fact, humans have been studying influenza viruses since the beginning of the 18th century. Three types of influenza viruses exist: A, B and C. Influenza B is a strain of influenza virus with the ability to cause severe epidemics. Although influenza A and B have similar structure, genome organization, and epidemiology, they have several important differences which imply that their evolutionary dynamics differ. Unlike influenza A viruses, influenza B…

A virus- a complex microscopic organism that possesses the ability to replicate inside the cells of a host. For centuries scientists have debated the topic of whether viruses are living organisms- or not. Viruses have been left in a “gray area”, becoming ignored in the study of evolution by scientists. When not in contact with a host, viruses tend to stray from the characteristics that define life. Characteristics such as the ability to respond to their environment, lack of cells, and the…

Mononucleosis also known as the kissing disease is caused by an infection with the epstein-barr virus. Also caused by being exposed to someone who has this disease. This disease is actually very common and isn't permanent. If you have this disease you need to be cautious because you are contagious. There are many symptoms to this disease such as, fever, rash, swollen glands, sore throat, headache, soft swollen spleen, swollen tonsils, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes (on the neck and armpits), and…

Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering in Human Beings We, as human beings, all start off the same way. A lucky sperm meets an egg and forms the beginning of a whole new life. From that very moment it is predetermined in our DNA that we will have a certain color of hair, be of a certain height, and what color that our eyes will be. Then, approximately nine months later we are welcomed into the world carrying with us every trait that our DNA tells us to have. People will come in to see the miracle…

There are many ways of getting sick such as airborne, touching someone. For a long time this is how people have gotten a cold or chicken pox. As medicine is readily available to aid in the recovery of an illness. Viruses can become resistant to medicine just as our bodies could resist to some sicknesses. In the book Biological Terrorism by Steve Goodwin and Randall W. Phillis they present a history of microorganism used to help cure diseases and misused by Medics, and biological warfare. To…

Conquering Cancer Through Gene Virus Therapy When you have cancer, you want the best doctors and effective therapies tailored just for you. At Mayo Clinic we have more than 4,000 world class physicians in every medical specialty dedicated to working together to chart the quickest path to healing. When it comes to cancer research, Mayo Clinic has the broadest, most comprehensive oncolytic virotherapy program in the US. Thanks to benefactors, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center (MCCC) is making great…

the origin of the CRISRP acronym. These CRISPR sequences are specific patterns of DNA sequences that are capable of being edited out of genes. Using the CRISPR system, bacteria are able to destroy the genome of invading viruses and thus prevent the virus from being able to replicate and survive in its host.…

Introduction Bacteriophages, informally known as phages, are a specific type of virus that only infect bacteria. Since their discovery in the early 1900s , researchers have began studying the various behaviors and interactions of phages within the environment (Poxleitner, Pope, Jacobs-Sera, Sivanathan, & Hatfull, 2016). Their name, bacteriophages, is derived from the idea that they are “bacteria eaters.” Due to their bacteria-destroying nature, they have been used in phage therapy in which they…

Over many years, scientists have achieved the understanding of the human body. For example, how each system of the human body works, but most importantly, how they fail to work has led to different disease processes and the possible treatments. Although genetic research began long ago, it was not until 1990, when the Human Genome Project was introduced and successfully completed in 2003 (National Human Genome Institute, 2014). This project allowed scientists to understand the “sequences that…

The icosahedral structure is essential to viruses because it provides a stable, protective covering to protect the genome from any chemical or physical agents from harming it. In addition, the icosahedral shape is made up of identical subunits, the virus will better utilize its genome to encode proteins for the capsid. Finally, the last reason that I believe icosahedral structures have been favored by evolution is simply because they allow delivery of the genome by specific binding to external…