What Is Cancer?
Viruses are very small, usually less than one micrometer in length. They can be composed of a protein, DNA, piece of genes, or RNA and therefore can replicate and cause infection by invading a living host organism. A virus is considered a harmful infection when it produces particles known as antigens that trigger the immune system to fight off the invading organisms. The major types of viruses are: herpes, hepatitis, bird flu, and Swine flu (to name a few). Some viruses only survive on a specific type of animal, like chicken, or on people or plants with specific immune systems.
In order to develop a virus, an outside infectious agent has to be introduced into the host’s body. Once inside, the virus replicates itself and makes copies of itself in different locations within the host’s body, creating more copies when it is exposed to additional factors. Once the virus is in place, it begins replicating and growing in numbers. In order to stop the replication process, antiviral drugs are often used. Antiviral drugs are designed to stop the virus from invading healthy cells.
Because each virus is unique in its characteristics, it is virtually impossible to create a vaccine to protect against all viruses. The only way to stop the virus before it takes over the host’s organism is to kill all of the living organisms that the virus is able to invade. To do this, doctors use healthy cells to make antibodies to engulf the virus and prevent it from spreading to other healthy cells.
Although doctors cannot stop every virus from invading the human body, they can slow the rate at which they spread. For this reason, healthy cells harvested from the body are placed in a dish in order to produce dna (short for genetic material). The dna is then placed into a DNA envelope, where it can be studied and located any abnormalities in the genetic material. These abnormalities can be compared to the genetic material found in the virus. If the virus has changes, the doctor can identify which one is the cause of the illness, and create a treatment that stops the virus from infecting healthy tissue.
Once a DNA profile is identified, doctors use sophisticated technology to inject the genetic material of the suspected virus into the hosts. Once the DNA is present in the host cell, scientists monitor it throughout the growing cycle. They note the exact time the virus attacks the host cell, as well as the response of the host cell. This allows researchers to make precise treatments. Eventually, they can create vaccines that will stop the viral invasion and stop the spread of illness.
Because a virus only affects living cells, there is no way to destroy it or remove it from the host’s body. Removing the virus is impossible; even if you isolate the virus, it is still within the living cells. This means that if your child were to develop leukemia, they would have to undergo treatment from immunotherapies, and the virus would then be passed on to their children, and their children’s children. The only way to protect against a deadly virus like this is through prevention, so it is imperative that you practice vaccination when you are aware of your child being at risk.
