Virus: Definition, Types, and Examples

  • Post last modified:October 4, 2021
  • Reading time:3 mins read

What are Viruses?

The primary goal of all creatures is to reproduce and live, and viruses are no exception. Viruses appear to be seen as a nuisance by humans. Viruses may take on both living and non-living forms. Viruses are distinct from other creatures in that they require other organisms to host themselves in order to thrive. As a result, they are classified as obligatory parasites.

How Viruses Spread?

Infections are spread in a number of ways, including:

1. Airborne Viruses: Viruses that infect their hosts in the open air

2. Blood Borne Viruses: Viruses that are transmitted between organisms when infected blood enters the circulatory system of an organism.

3. Contamination: This is caused by the ingestion of items contaminated with viruses, such as water and food. As a result, viruses have a variety of ways to spread from one creature to another.

Steps of Virus Spread

Viruses are extremely small microbes. They are unable to replicate independently due to their small size and simplicity. As a result, after a virus has taken up residence in a host, it needs a way to replicate before it dies out without creating other viruses. This is accomplished by changing a cell’s genetic composition to begin coding for the components needed to produce additional viruses.

More viruses can be created by changing the cell instructions. This, in turn, can have an impact on additional cells, assisting in the species’ survival. A typical bacteriophage (a virus that infects a bacterial cell) takes control of its host cell and reproduces itself in the following steps.

  • The virus approaches and attaches itself to the bacterial host cell’s cell membrane.
  • The virus’s tail allows it to inject its genetic information into the host cell.
  • In order for the virus to replicate itself, it steals nucleotides from the host.
  • Viral DNA modifies the host cell’s genetic code to produce protein coverings for the newly formed viral DNA strands.
  • The viral DNA penetrates the protein coat of the virus.
  • The cell swells with numerous copies of the original virus and explodes, allowing the viruses to attach to additional cells nearby.
  • The process starts all over again, with fresh host cells being attacked by a slew of viruses. The virus-infected host will perish quickly if it does not have a mechanism of resistance.
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