Types of Viruses and Where They Live

Viruses are some of the smallest of all known organisms. They are so small that 50 billion viruses (which cause the most common cold) can fit on the head of a pin to be spread between people. Then once the virus has invaded the new host cell it’s ready to invade another cell and replicate. The same virus gets replicated over again. So the virus spreads from one person to the next, without the need of any kind of bodily contact.

The virus spreads by the means of a molecule called the virus-antibodies. These antibodies have an amino acid base called a protein that recognizes specific genetic material ( RNA or DNA). The virus thus recognizes this genetic material as harmless. However when this genetic material is inserted into an appropriate receptacle such as a cell, virus particles are released. These virus particles then seek out their own protein bases to latch onto and replicate themselves.

Some viruses are multicellular in nature. Multicellular viruses are those that can multiply inside cells (or other living things) without needing to make contact with any host cells. Examples include the herpes simplex virus, which replicates itself inside the bodies of its carrier. The Epstein-Barr virus is also a multicellular virus that is very contagious.

There are viruses that do not need the host cell for their reproduction and multiplication, but rather rely on the protein synthesis process in the host cell to distribute themselves to new locations. Some viruses, called nonliving parasites, utilize the genetic material found in living organisms for their replication and spread. Examples of nonliving parasites are arthropods, bacteria, and yeast. Not all viruses use the protein synthesis process to reproduce themselves; viral RNA viruses and retroviruses are nonliving parasites.

Animal Viruses Are Commonly Spread Through Animals The majority of viruses, both animal and human are able to survive in the host range of the animals they are intended to infect. Animals are also capable of passing their infections to humans through physical contact. The most notable example of this would be the common bird flu virus. Avian viruses, that are spread through birds, are similar to those that infect humans, but they tend to have a shorter life span than those that infect people. This means that while an avian influenza might be spread from one bird to another during physical contact, it may not be possible to pass this virus to humans.

Biological: There Are No Major Species When looking at the types of viruses, we must recognize that some forms of viruses are completely alien to all life on Earth. These forms of viruses are known as ‘biological viruses’. Some examples of biological viruses are bacteria and fungi. Some forms of bacteria are so common, they are considered to be a part of our ecosystem. This is so common that nearly every living thing on Earth possesses some form of bacterial DNA. Fungi have also been found to be important microorganisms which regulate the health of other organisms in nature.