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 Influenza  The adenovirus infects humans and causes conjunctivitis (commonly known as pinkeye). | ||||
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RATINGS: Sites are rated from 1 owl (good) to a high of 5 owls. Read more- HIV: The "AIDS Virus"
Everybody knows that HIV is dangerous and almost always fatal. But few know exactly how the virus does its dirty work. HIV is a retrovirus, which means that it has a strand of RNA, rather than DNA, as its genetic material. The AIDS Education Global Information System site presents an in-depth, yet visually enticing, look into the virus explains the steps involved in the infection of the host cell and the replication of HIV.
- Viruses
Like a parasitic factory, a virus reprograms a cell with its own genetic material to produce more of itself. This enigmatic entity was discovered by Scottish scientist Robert Buist in the 1880s. Learn more about viruses at this webpage, designed by high school students. Some of the concepts are a little specific, but don't fret — there are cool animations, diagrams, and photographs to help make everything clear. This page is part of the Virtual Virus Experience website hosted by ThinkQuest.
- What Is Flu?
Having the flu doesn't necessarily mean getting a few days off from school, sipping broth and snoozing away. Some strains of the flu (or influenza virus) cause grave illness and even death. For example, the 1918 global influenza epidemic killed 20 million people. Scientists are also finding that the flu virus can jump from animals to people! This advanced Whyfiles website scopes out the scene on viruses and explains why these pesky microbes are here to stay.
- Viruses
Classifying a virus poses a conundrum for scientists. Is it living? A virus is pretty much inert — just a protein coat around a strand of DNA or RNA — until it comes into contact with a host, injects the host with its own genetic material, and begins to replicate itself. Ultimately, the virus destroys its host cell and sometimes the organism along with it. This webpage is part of a fun, larger website on microbes.
- How Viruses Work
Yikes! One little virus can produce an entire colony of viruses. How can people prevent the spread of these dastardly things? A few practices are common sense. For example, washing hands often throughout the day — especially before eating — lessens the chance that infectious viruses will be ingested. With useful pictures and clear text, How Stuff Works describes the workings of the viruses.
- Introduction to the Viruses
Viruses are to cells what carjackers are to automobiles: they hijack the vehicle for their own diabolical purposes. This website from the University of California at Berkeley Paleontology Museum explains how viruses take over the function a host cell by inserting their own genetic material into the cell. The site also provides links to more information on a number of diseases caused by viruses, such as polio, rabies, Ebola, hanta fever, and AIDS.
Are Viruses Alive?
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