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Viruses have even been associated with type 1-related autoimmunity in wild animals (Warvsten et al. Most studies that have evaluated the association between viruses and type 1 have found that it is highly likely that some viruses do play a role in type 1 diabetes development (Principi et al. Viruses (1) Eukaryotic microorganisms and viruses (WS 2010/2011) VIRUS (latin: poison) General term for all infectious agents! China 1000 B. Prevention without knowledge of the agent, based on recognition that survivors of smallpox were subsequently protected against disease Inoculation of healthy individuals with dry material from.
A virus is a microscopic particle that can infect the cells of a biological organism.
Viruses can only replicate themselves by infecting a host cell and therefore cannot reproduce on their own.
At the most basic level, viruses consist of genetic material contained within a protective protein coat called a capsid; the existence of both genetic material and protein distinguishes them from other virus-like particles such as prions and viroids.
They infect a wide variety of organisms: both eukaryotes (animals, fungi and plants) and prokaryotes (bacteria).
A virus that infects bacteria is known as a bacteriophage, often shortened to phage.
The study of viruses is known as virology, and those who study viruses are known as virologists.
It has been argued extensively whether viruses are living organisms.
Most virologists consider them non-living, as they do not meet all the criteria of the generally accepted definition of life.
They are similar to obligate intracellular parasites as they lack the means for self-reproduction outside a host cell, but unlike parasites, viruses are generally not considered to be true living organisms.
A primary reason is that viruses do not possess a cell membrane or metabolise on their own - characteristics of all living organisms.
Examples of common human diseases caused by viruses include the common cold, the flu, chickenpox and cold sores.
Serious diseases such as Ebola, AIDS, bird flu and SARS are all also caused by viruses.
Note: The above text is excerpted from the Wikipedia article 'Virus', which has been released under the GNU Free Documentation License.
For more information, see the following related content on ScienceDaily:
Viruses Can Transfer Genes Across the Superkingdoms of Life
Dec. 18, 2017 — A new finds that viruses can transfer genes to organisms that they aren't known to infect, suggesting they can influence and interact with a much wider range of organisms than previously ... read more
Giant Viruses in the Sea: Bodo Saltans Virus Genome Has 1.39 Million Bases of DNA
Mar. 29, 2018 — Bodo saltans virus, whose genome weighs in at 1.39 million bases of DNA, is one of the largest giant viruses ever isolated, and the largest known to infect ... read more
Modifying a Live Virus in a Vaccine to Be Just Strong Enough
Dec. 1, 2016 — By genetically tweaking the constituent live virus, scientists have created a vaccine against influenza in which the virus is capable of activating the immune system but cannot replicate in healthy ... read more
Structural Changes That Occur in Enveloped Viruses Before Invading Host
Aug. 21, 2018 — The critical, structural changes that enveloped viruses, such as HIV, Ebola and influenza, undergo before invading host cells have been revealed by scientists using nano-infrared spectroscopic ... read more
Ebola Adapted to Better Infect Humans During 2013-2016 Epidemic
Nov. 3, 2016 — Researchers have identified mutations in Ebola virus that emerged during the 2013-2016 Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa that increased the ability of the virus to infect human ... read more
Ebolaviruses Need Very Few Mutations to Cause Disease in New Host Species
Feb. 15, 2017 — Ebola is one of the world's most virulent diseases, though rodent species such as guinea pigs, rats and mice are not normally susceptible to it. However, through repeated infection of a host ... read more
Ebola Virus Exploits Host Enzyme for Efficient Entry to Target Cells
Feb. 6, 2018 — Researchers have identified a key process that enables the Ebola virus to infect host cells, providing a novel target for developing antiviral ... read more
Viruses Support Photosynthesis in Bacteria
Feb. 23, 2017 — Viruses propagate by infecting a host cell and reproducing inside. This not only affects humans and animals, but bacteria as well. This type of virus is called bacteriophage. They carry so called ... read more
Cross-Species Jumps May Play Unexpectedly Big Role in Virus Evolution
Mar. 9, 2017 — On occasion, a virus may jump from one host species to another and adapt to the new host. Such cross-species transmission happens more often than expected, according to new research, and it may play ... read more
How MERS Coronavirus Evolves to Infect Different Species
Aug. 14, 2018 — New research shows how MERS-CoV can adapt to infect cells of a new species, which suggests that other coronaviruses might be able to do the ... read more
- RELATED TERMS
- Avian flu
- Microorganism
- Chickenpox
- Eukaryote
- Pandemic
- Human parainfluenza viruses
June 24, 2019
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June 19, 2019 — The quest to discover what drove one of the most important evolutionary events in the history of life on Earth has taken a new, ... read more
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updated 12:56 pm ET
The Solution to Antibiotic Resistance Could Be in Your Kitchen Sponge
June 23, 2019 — Researchers have discovered bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, living in their kitchen sponges. As the threat of antibiotic resistance increases, bacteriophages, or phages for short, may ... read more
Cannabidiol Is a Powerful New Antibiotic
June 23, 2019 — New research has found that Cannnabidiol is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including those responsible for many serious infections (such as Staphyloccocus aureus and Streptococcus ... read more
Ocean Swimming Alters Skin Microbiome, Increasing Vulnerability to Infection
June 23, 2019 — Swimming in the ocean alters the skin microbiome and may increase the likelihood of infection, according to new ... read more
Plants May Be Transmitting Superbugs to People
June 23, 2019 — Antibiotic-resistant infections are a threat to global public health, food safety and an economic burden. To prevent these infections, it is critical to understand how antibiotic-resistant bacteria ... read more
New Study Maps How Ocean Currents Connect the World's Fisheries
June 20, 2019 — It's a small world after all -- especially when it comes to marine fisheries, with a new study revealing they form a single network, with over $10 billion worth of fish each year being caught in a ... read more
June 20, 2019 — New research examines what happens when neural stem cells are exposed to high levels of an acid commonly found in ... read more
June 19, 2019 — Using a taxonomic approach, scientists have re-identified the huge birds drawn on the desert plains of Peru as hermits ... read more
Key Locations for Declining Songbird
June 19, 2019 — Many of North America's migratory songbirds are declining at alarming rates. For conservation efforts to succeed, wildlife managers need to know where they go and what challenges they face during ... read more
I Want To Download A Virus
Skin Bacteria Could Save Frogs from Virus
June 21, 2019 — Bacteria living on the skin of frogs could save them from a deadly virus, new research ... read more
1 Facts About Viruses
Dissemination of Pathogenic Bacteria by University Student's Cell Phones
June 21, 2019 — New research has demonstrated the presence of S. aureus in 40% of the cell phones of students sampled at a university. S. aureus is a common cause of hospital and community-based infections and is ... read more
Influenza (Flu) Viruses
Class 1 Viruses
There are two main types of influenza (flu) virus: Types A and B. The influenza A and B viruses that routinely spread in people (human influenza viruses) are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year.
Influenza A viruses can be broken down into sub-types depending on the genes that make up the surface proteins. Over the course of a flu season, different types (A & B) and subtypes (influenza A) of influenza circulate and cause illness.
Xbox 1 Viruses
- Types of Influenza Viruses
Influenza A and B viruses are responsible for seasonal flu epidemics each year. - How the Flu Virus Can Change
Influenza viruses can change in two different ways—antigenic drift and antigenic shift. - Transmission of Influenza Viruses from Animals to People
Influenza A viruses also are found in many different animals, including ducks, chickens, pigs, whales, horses and seals. - Antigenic Characterization of Influenza Viruses
“Antigens” are molecular structures on the surface of viruses that are recognized by the immune system and are capable of triggering an immune response (antibody production). - 2009 H1N1 Influenza
The influenza A (H1N1) virus that emerged in 2009 caused the first global influenza pandemic in more than 40 years. - Images of Influenza Viruses
Graphics of generic influenza viruses