There is a Virus Among Us

By: Alex Caraulia 4A

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We all have them; they come and go. Some stay forever. They have multiple forms; sicknesses are the most common and computer viruses are the ones that make me sad. However computer viruses don’t come from infected cells; body viruses do. Viruses take many affects on the world and there are many different types. Some aren’t all that bad and they actually help our nation as well as others.

What really is a virus? A virus is a microscopic organism that cannot grow or create outside of another cell. Though it is non-cellular it has a core of either DNA or RNA and has a protein coat. (viruses) So a virus must attach its self in order to reproduce or spread. Any virus to be seen today must be seen underneath a microscope. Though they are small, they have a great impact on the human race and the animal kingdom.

Viruses come and go in the most common ways and one is through being ill. When you get sick, you most likely have a virus and to find out what kind it is you go to the doctor, right? Well not only do they make you feel better, but what some people fail to realize, is that you are also part of mandatory research conducted by the government. They don’t tell you however because they don’t want to freak people out. When you go to the doctors, they jot down notes to find out more about sicknesses and new ways to treat them. This is how we have found and treated viruses like the common cold and influenza.

Believe it or not, the common cold is a virus. We all catch it every once in awhile and some may catch it more in the fall and winter than others may get in the spring and summer others may just get them all year round. (Influenza- What is Influenza?)Influenza is just the fancy term for the flu. There are many types of the flu and the most recent one that is the talk of the town is Swine Flu. However a doctor might label it, the flu is just another virus that can be cured. Though both a cold and the flu are viruses, there are some differences. For example, you know you have the flu when you have a fever and you just feel sick. You know when you have a cold because your nose gets all stuffy and you may cough as well.  (Common Cold)

Viruses may seem intimidating at first, but you soon realize that once you get one, it isn’t so bad after awhile. There are many types of viruses, including the cold, flu, and software. These microscopic organisms have good reasons to be here and the government thinks so too! Mean little suckers when you have them, but they serve a good purpose for research; these are viruses.

(Virus)

Bibliography

"Common Cold." New York Times. 12 April 2012 <http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/common-cold/overview.html>.

"Influenza- What is Influenza?" News Medical. 12 April 2012 <http://www.news-medical.net/health/Influenza-What-is-Influenza.aspx>.

"Virus." 28 November 2008. biology online. 12 April 2012 <http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Virus>.

"viruses." ThinkQuest. 12 April 2012 <http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0210243/Science%20Station/>.