Viruses versus Humans - Battle for life

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Who came first - Viruses or Humans?

Do humans really mark the pinnacle of evolution of viruses? While we’ve evolved along a pathway of ever-increasing complexity, viruses have streamlined, successfully jettisoning all but a handful of essential genes. Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth. They are present everywhere, in our surrounding, the oceans, the soil and in every living being. Retroviruses contributed to about half of our genomic sequences and to the evolution of the mammalian placenta. Contemporary viruses reflect evolution ranging from the RNA world to the DNA-protein world.

Viruses and Bacteria both descended from an ancient cellular life form. But while - like humans - bacteria evolved to become more complex, viruses became simpler. Today, viruses are so small and simple, thet can't even replicate on their own. Viruses carry only the essential genetic information they need to be able to slip inside a host cell and coax it into making new copies of the virus (the influenza, for instance has a mere 14 protien-coding genes). Because viruses are usually so basic, many biologist didn't think they could even be classified as life form.

How Viruses are different from Bacteria


DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BACTERIA AND VIRUSES
Bacteria Viruses
Bacteria do not need a host organism for reproduction. Viruses replicate only inside the host.
Considered as living organisms. Not considered as living organisms.
Larger and Visible under light microscope. Smaller and visible under the electron microscope.
Contain a Peptidoglycan/ Lipopolysaccharide cell wall. Contain a protein coat instead of a cell wall.
Unicellular. Don't have cells.
A single, circular chromosome is present. DNA/ RNA strand present.
Can be either beneficial of harmful. Usually harmful, though useful in genetic engineering.
Cause localised infections. Cause systematic infection.
Food poisoning, gastritis, ulcers, meningitis, pneumonia, etc. are caused. AIDS, common cold, influenza, chickenpox, etc. are caused.
Infections can be prevented by Antibiotics. Spreads can be prevented by vaccuines.

What is immunity in Humans

The immune system (or immunity) protects the human body against disease or other potentially damaging foreign bodies. When functioning properly, the immune system identifies and attacks a variety of threats, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, while distinguishing them from the body's own health tissue. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies.

What do Viruses and Microbes do to Humans?

Many human infections are caused by either bacteria or viruses.

Bacterium under right conditions reproduces by diving into two. Each daughter cell then divide in two and so on, so that a single bacteria can bloom into a population of some 500,000 or more within just eight hours. If the environmental conditions don't suit the bacteria, some varieties morph into dormant state. They develop a tough outer coating and await the appropriate change of conditions. These hibernating bacteria are called spores. Spores are harder to kill than active bacteria because of their outer coating.

CURING A BACTERIAL INFECTION: The body reacts to disease by increasing local blood flow (inflammation) and sending in cells from the immune system to attac and destroy the bacteria. Antibodies produced by the immune system attach to the bacteria and help in thier destruction. Serious infections can be treated with antibiotics, which work by distrupting the bacterium's metabolic processes.

Viruses pose a considerable chhallenge to the body's immune system because they hide inside cells. This makes difficult for antibodies to reach them.

CURING A VIRAL INFECTION: Antibiotics are useless against viral infections. This is because viruses are so simple that they user their host cell to perform their activities for them. So antiviral drugs work differently to antibiotics, by interfering with the viral enzyme instead.

Are all Viruses bad?

Viruses are mostly known for their aggressive and infectious nature. But they're not all bad. Some viruses can kill bacteria, while others can fight against more dangerous viruses. So like protective bacteria (probiotics), we have several protective viruses in our body. Bacteriophages (or "phages") are viruses that infect and destroy specific bacteria. They're found in the mucus membrane lining in the digestive respiratory and reproductive tracts.

Viral infections at young age are important to ensure the proper development of our immune systems. In addtion, the immune system is continuosly stimulated by systemic viruses at low levels sufficient to develop resistance to other infections.

What is "HERD IMMUNITY"?

Herd immunity is the indirect protection from a contagious infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection. This means that even people who aren't vaccinated, or in whom the vaccine doesn't trigger immunity, are protected because people around them who are immune can act as buffer between them. Once herd immunity has been established for a while, and the ability of the disease to spread is hindered, the disease can eventually be eliminated. This is how world eradicated smallpox, for example.

What lies ahead?

There is a beautiful commentary from the movie "War of the Worlds", which describe our history and possible future with the tiny creatures (viruses, bacteria, fungus, etc.) with whom we have been in contact for a long time.

"From the moment the invaders arrived, breathed our air, ate and drank, they were doomed. They were undone, destroyed, after all of man's weapons and devices had failed, but the tiniest creatures that God in his wisdom put upon this earth. By the toll of a billion deaths, man has earned his immunity, his right survive among this planet's infinite organisms. And that right is ours against all challenges. For neither fo men live nor die in vain." --- War of the Worlds Commentary.
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

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