Thursday, 11 January 2007


This is my first biology blog post!

i've found some interesting facts on VIRUSES
they'll be in point for for easy reading

and they're really interesting! ;)


- Firstly, a virus is a microscopic particle that can infect the cells of a biological organism.

- The plural form is virus, the singular form is virion

- Viruses replicate themselves by infecting a host cell

- Therefore, they cannot reproduce on their own like how cells do

- The word "virus" is a latin word for Poison!

- viruses has a protective protein coat, capsid, that contains genetic materials

- the genetic material and protein in a virus distinguishes them from other virus like particles like prions and viroids

- They infect a wide variety of organisms, animals, fungi, plants and 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.

- Virologist consider them as non-living organisms as they lack the means for self-reproduction outside a host cell

- However, there still is not a definitive answer, becuase it has both the characteristics of both living and non living particles

- Viruses are NOT made up of cells

- Bacteria can be attacked by viruses!

- There are four types of viruses:
1) Helical viruses
2) Icosahedral viruses
3) Enveloped viruses
4) Complex viruses


- Talking about the size of a virus, a medium sized virion next to flea, is like putting a human next to a mountain twice the size of mount Everest!

- Virus contain either DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (Ribonucleic acid). they won't contain both.

- Viruses like Ebola and small pox causes epidemics!

- It is difficult to eliminate a virus without killing the host cell!


here's some types of viruses:
1) warts
2) Yellow fever
3) AIDS
4) influenza
5) Hepatitis
6) Chicken pox

these are more common forms of viruses
and we need a good inmmune system to cure these viruses.


















Here are some pictures of viruses i found:















the influenza virus.





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