What Do You Know About Viruses?

Viruses are located between living and non-living organisms, they are actually pieces of nucleic acid that are encased in a protein.

Viruses are much smaller in size than bacteria and can only be seen under a microscope.

How viruses multiply

Viruses multiply using the facilities inside the host cell and disrupt the activity of host cell cells. Viruses infect many animals, plants and bacteria and some can cause diseases.

Viruses do not grow, do not have homeostasis, and do not have metabolic reactions due to the lack of major enzymes.

How many viruses are there on Earth?

Scientists estimate that there are 10 nonillion (10 followed by 30 zeroes) viruses in the world, but a small number of these viruses affect humans.

(AIDS)

Viral agent: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Polio

Viral agent: polio

Influenza

Viral agents: Influenza virus A, B, C or D.

Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)

Viral agent: SARS-CoV-2

How do viruses infect cells?

They first enter the cell and deceive the host cells. There are sensors on the surface of host cells called receptors. Receptors are compatible with nutrient forms, and when the receptor and nutrients are coordinated, the host cell allows them to enter.

In fact, viruses use a kind of camouflage to deceive cells. The capsid, or virus receptor protein, is similar to the nutrient needed for cells. 

When the virus receptor attaches to the host cell receptor, the cells detect the viruses as nutrients and let them in, causing the host cell to become infected.

Multiplication of more viruses

The next step is to produce more viruses. When viruses enter the cell, they add the genome instruction to the cell. The cells do not realize that this is causing more viruses to be produced and follow this instruction. Now this cell has become a factory for viruses without knowing it.The generated parts are joined together to form a complete virus.

These viruses leave the cells, and each of these new viruses can infect other cells and continue this cycle.

(Structure of the virus)

Fight against viruses

When the immune system detects a virus in the body, it begins to suppress it. In a process called RNA suppression, the genetic content of the virus is broken down.

The immune system begins to produce special antibodies that attach to the virus and make it non-infectious. The immune system is activated when it is exposed to infections But a number of viruses, such as HIV and noroviruses, know how to escape the immune system.

About the coronavirus

Coronavirus is actually a large family of viruses and a component of coronaviruses. Common colds include more severe illnesses such as SARS, Mers, and more recently Covid. Coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960s and continued to be studied until the 1980s.

So far, 7 coronaviruses that have been transmitted to humans have been discovered. The latest strain of the virus in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, called coronavirus acute respiratory syndrome virus (SARS-CoV-2) spread.

The structure of the corona virus

The structure of coronaviruses is spherical or protruding.

Their size varies greatly from 80 to 120 nm in diameter. The virus consists of two layers; Inside the nucleus are genetic material and the outer layer is made up of protein crowns. After entering the host cell, the virus is uncoated and its genome enters the cell cytoplasm.

Human corona virus

Of the 40 species of the coronavirus family to date, seven have been identified that can be transmitted to humans. These species cause diseases such as colds in humans. Some coronaviruses invade the lungs and show symptoms in the intestines and stomach.

Symptoms of coronavirus in the respiratory tract usually appear in common colds called pneumonia and is associated with a mild cold.

But there are other types of viruses that are associated with more severe symptoms, such as SARS, Mers, and more recently covid 19

SARS

The virus, which scientists believe originated in China, caused a global SARS epidemic in 2002 and, scientifically known as SARS-C, caused acute respiratory syndrome among people with the disease.

MERS

The virus was discovered in 2012 in a 60-year-old man in Saudi Arabia.

The discovery of the disease was first confirmed at the Health protection agency's laboratory in Colindale, London The outbreak of this coronavirus is called (Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus) It is known as MERS-CoV for short.

Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Finally, in 2019, people in China contracted pneumonia for no apparent reason, and no vaccine or treatment was effective, thus identifying a new type of coronavirus in the world.