Viruses, mutations and Swine-flu.?
Is the swine flu really such a big deal or is it being blown out of proportion.
A certain party was arguing with another about it, and I be listening on. They claimed that we shouldn't ignore the matter as if the virus continues to spread it may mutate into something incurable and endanger millions of lives.
Is this true, can the virus spreading to more and more people actually increase its chances of mutating into something stony? How so?
And just to add on another little question of relevance...you know when virus and bacteria become resistant to certain treatments? What causes this...do the treatments themselves cheer the bacteria to become more resistant?
The reason I ask this is because I'm of the idea that mutations are adjectives random and it happens by pure chance. But I really don't hold a good understanding of it.
Just some general curiosity ^_^
Answers:
With respect to the swine-flu, yes, a virus can mutate into something more deadly along the way. This can happen by a quantity of different ways. All of these ways change the DNA (or RNA) of the virus in such a way as to build it more pathogenic (able to cause disease). For instance, there could be random mutation contained by the surface antigens (the proteins which allow it to enter into the cell which it infects) and this would cause the immune system of a person who was previously sensitize (had see it before) to that antigen, to become susceptible. There are other ways for mutations to happen but a lot of them are more relevant for DNA viruses fairly than RNA viruses like influenza.
As for when an organism becomes resistant to a persuaded antimicrobial agent, no the treatments themselves do not DIRECTLY cause the change. In the case of microbes, lets say there is a population of germs living in your intestine (because there is :P) and you take penicillin for a throat infection. That penicillin act upon the bacteria in your throat like it should but also act on the bacteria in your intestine. Lets also say that, through all over the place mutation, a few bacteria (out of the millions) have become resistant to penicillin (through a mutation which causes them to over produce beta-lactamase, the enzyme which breaks down penicillin). The penicillin would slay off all of the nonresistant bacteria and the resistant ones would remain and proliferate. Then, when they have some time to divide, the majority of the population of bacteria would be resistant. Source(s): BScH. Microbiology/Immunology
BScH. Psychology
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A certain party was arguing with another about it, and I be listening on. They claimed that we shouldn't ignore the matter as if the virus continues to spread it may mutate into something incurable and endanger millions of lives.
Is this true, can the virus spreading to more and more people actually increase its chances of mutating into something stony? How so?
And just to add on another little question of relevance...you know when virus and bacteria become resistant to certain treatments? What causes this...do the treatments themselves cheer the bacteria to become more resistant?
The reason I ask this is because I'm of the idea that mutations are adjectives random and it happens by pure chance. But I really don't hold a good understanding of it.
Just some general curiosity ^_^
Answers:
With respect to the swine-flu, yes, a virus can mutate into something more deadly along the way. This can happen by a quantity of different ways. All of these ways change the DNA (or RNA) of the virus in such a way as to build it more pathogenic (able to cause disease). For instance, there could be random mutation contained by the surface antigens (the proteins which allow it to enter into the cell which it infects) and this would cause the immune system of a person who was previously sensitize (had see it before) to that antigen, to become susceptible. There are other ways for mutations to happen but a lot of them are more relevant for DNA viruses fairly than RNA viruses like influenza.
As for when an organism becomes resistant to a persuaded antimicrobial agent, no the treatments themselves do not DIRECTLY cause the change. In the case of microbes, lets say there is a population of germs living in your intestine (because there is :P) and you take penicillin for a throat infection. That penicillin act upon the bacteria in your throat like it should but also act on the bacteria in your intestine. Lets also say that, through all over the place mutation, a few bacteria (out of the millions) have become resistant to penicillin (through a mutation which causes them to over produce beta-lactamase, the enzyme which breaks down penicillin). The penicillin would slay off all of the nonresistant bacteria and the resistant ones would remain and proliferate. Then, when they have some time to divide, the majority of the population of bacteria would be resistant. Source(s): BScH. Microbiology/Immunology
BScH. Psychology
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