Viruses

attacks the meninges, as a result of an ear or sinus infection, or a skull fracture, or rarely, after some surgeries. Each year, viruses cause a more number of cases of meningitis than do bacteria. Viral meningitis is usually mild and often clears on its own. A group of viruses known as enteroviruses is responsible for most viral meningitis cases in the United States.…

Flu Vaccination Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract caused by the influenza viruses that can cause mild to severe illness. Severe outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death (Influenza (Flu) Viruses, 2014). It is estimated that 5% to 20% of the population of United States (US) gets the flu and of those over 200,000 are hospitalized from the flu or from flu-related complications (Seasonal Influenza Q&A, 2014). In the last 30 years…

It does this by forming an immunological memory. This will allow the body to remember a virus if it comes to attack again. The body will have a faster immune response to the virus if it is exposed to the virus for a second time. Three methods of viruses being modified into vaccines are: inactivated virus vaccine, live attenuated virus vaccine and virion subunit vaccines. Inactivated virus vaccine this vaccine will include a mixture of a dead virus, that means that the virus is inactivated. The…

Arteries Arteries carry blood at high pressure (80 - 120 mm Hg) They have a narrower lumen (to maintain high pressure) surround by a thick wall made of two layers The middle layer (tunica media) contains muscle and elastin to help maintain pulse flow (it can contract and stretch) The outer layer (tunica adventitia) contains collagen prevents the artery rupturing due to the high pressure blood flow Veins Veins carry blood under low pressure (<10 mm Hg) They have a very wide lumen (keeps…

Viruses have often seen as deadly particles of mass destruction. However, what if their ability to infiltrate cellular structures could be used for good rather than for evil? It seems that scientist in the field of medical virology have begun to explore such an option. One of the first viruses to be used in such manner is an engineered herpes virus, capable of provoking an immune response against cancer. Since this discovery the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a genetically…

replication is essentially what infects the human body. However, virions don’t just halt their reproduction process after just one copy. The process continues until the host cell literally explodes. This cellular eruption then send thousands of other viruses into the respiratory tract and eventually the bloodstream to accomplish the same thing. The destruction of respiratory cells is what causes the inflammation that leads to coughing and mucus production. At this point, the body's immune system…

Viruses; Who is the Beholder? The greatest threat to humanity can’t be seen by the untrained eye. It could lay dormant for millions of years and evolve into the most terrifying form of itself. These infectious viruses create worldwide terror. The 2011 film Contagion by Steven Soderbergh does an incredible but also frightening job of revealing how a lethal virus would impact the Earth. The deadly virus started in nature, transported around the world through fomites and living creatures, and then…

Influenza (flu) is an infectious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. There are two primary types of influenza viruses: type A and B. Both Influenza viruses commonly spread during the flu season. Flu season is unpredictable, but is typically starts in October and ends May. Influenza occurrences are generally at their peak between December and February. Cases of influenza range from mild illnesses to life threatening. Influenza spreads by coughing, sneezing, and airborne…

Rabbits are serious mammalian pest and invasive species in Australia causing millions of dollars of damage crops and many other things. Many methods have been tried to control the population of feral rabbits. They introduced viruses to the rabbit population and had an effect which reduce the population. They tried to build a rabbit fence which was very unsuccessful, but they are trying cause the rabbits are doing no good. Feral Rabbits have done a lot of damage in Australia and has caused many…

Viruses are particles that depend on a host cell they infect to reproduce and carry out metabolic functions. They are considered both living and nonliving. Viruses reproduce and mutate, therefore they can be considered living. However, they also lack organelles and cytoplasm, which is characteristic of a nonliving particle. Most viruses contain either DNA or RNA enclosed in a protein coat called a capsid, and upon infecting a host it induces the host cell’s replication machinery to reproduce. A…