# AMA about viruses



## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

Greetings!

It's Monday night, I'm studying, and I like talking about viruses. I am finishing my degree in a molecular biology with a concentration in virology.

AMA!


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## Rivaloo (Nov 19, 2021)

can humans catch computer viruses?!? :U


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

Rivaloo said:


> can humans catch computer viruses?!? :U


No lol!

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## Rivaloo (Nov 19, 2021)

drat's but what if I'm a robot beep boop


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

Rivaloo said:


> drat's but what if I'm a robot beep boop


Go to a computer repair shop then! Mail yourself back to apple!

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## Rivaloo (Nov 19, 2021)

so is a virus technically a life form? what do they feed on to energize their existence??


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

Rivaloo said:


> so is a virus technically a life form? what do they feed on to energize their existence??


Depends on who you ask. Really I would say no since they can't reproduce on their own. They don't invest anything as far as I am aware, and really function like little conveyor belts. 

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## Rivaloo (Nov 19, 2021)

you mean like conveyor belts in the sense that they multiply like crazy? o_o


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

Rivaloo said:


> you mean like conveyor belts in the sense that they multiply like crazy? o_o


Yup! And the fact they can make multiple parts of themselves too. 

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## recycled_lube_oil (Sep 30, 2021)

can viruses infect bacteria?


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

recycled_lube_oil said:


> can viruses infect bacteria?


Yes, these are bacteriophages. 

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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

recycled_lube_oil said:


> can viruses infect bacteria?


To build on my previous reply: because we are losing the war on antibiotics, we are considering viral therapies 

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## UnpickablePickle (Mar 17, 2019)

If viruses do their thing by penetrating the cell membrane and highjacking the cells normal function and macrophages do their thing by eating viruses using their cell membrane. How does the macrophage make sure it doesn't get highjacked doing its normal function, can't the virus escape the vesicle that the macrophage traps it in similarly to how they penetrate the cell membrane before the macrophage enzymes get it?


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## UnpickablePickle (Mar 17, 2019)

deafcrossfitter said:


> To build on my previous reply: because we are losing the war on antibiotics, we are considering viral therapies
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


I'm assuming these bacteriophages have a preference for specific bacteria cells Vs our cells for viral factory construction?


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

UnpickablePickle said:


> If viruses do their thing by penetrating the cell membrane and highjacking the cells normal function and macrophages do their thing by eating viruses using their cell membrane. How does the macrophage make sure it doesn't get highjacked doing its normal function, can't the virus escape the vesicle that the macrophage traps it in similarly to how they penetrate the cell membrane before the macrophage enzymes get it?


Can you rephrase please?

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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

UnpickablePickle said:


> I'm assuming these bacteriophages have a preference for specific bacteria cells Vs our cells for viral factory construction?


Bacteriophages have tropism to bacterial strains yes!

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## UnpickablePickle (Mar 17, 2019)

deafcrossfitter said:


> Can you rephrase please?
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


Sure thing.










If this is how phagocytosis works and the virus basically wants to get inside the cell anyway, how does the macrophage prevent itself being just a host for the virus if the virus has membrane permeability?


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## UnpickablePickle (Mar 17, 2019)

deafcrossfitter said:


> Bacteriophages have tropism to bacterial strains yes!
> 
> Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk


Out of curiosity, why would that be the case. Aren't human cells superior to some scrub bacteria cells. We have more ribosomes, more energy with the mitochondria, essentially we would make better viral factories than bacteria cells. They are just shooting themselves in the caspids going after bacteria cells if they could get better elsewhere. Isn't it likely that over time they might realise that human cells are optimum for production ?


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## deafcrossfitter (Nov 30, 2019)

UnpickablePickle said:


> Out of curiosity, why would that be the case. Aren't human cells superior to some scrub bacteria cells. We have more ribosomes, more energy with the mitochondria, essentially we would make better viral factories than bacteria cells. They are just shooting themselves in the caspids going after bacteria cells if they could get better elsewhere. Isn't it likely that over time they might realise that human cells are optimum for production ?


Maybe! We have virtually no way to tell for now. Regarding the phagocytosis question, again, tropism is a big factor. Off the top of my head only HIV is able to actually get into a macrophage. Its kind of like a lock and key mechanism. 

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## Scoobyscoob (Sep 4, 2016)

How do antivirals work?


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