Ever wonder what HIV-1 looks like?
December 1, 2001 8:40 AM Subscribe
Ever wonder what HIV-1 looks like? (scroll down). All the Virology on the WWW contains reams and reams of information on HIV and AIDS, including the aforementioned pictures and a prodigious list o' links, amongst other info.
The dermatologist told me "virus" meant "haven't the faintest idea". Still something to that, apparently.
To some degree, but what defines a virus has actually been fairly well identified. The biggest factor being that it reproduces using the host's (victim's) own DNA factories - the proteins that duplicate DNA as it gets old and dies (er, this is all a rather severe simplification) get taken over and start reproducing the virus' DNA.
Viruses have actually been used rather extensively in genetic research, and should pills you can pop to change your hair from brown to blonde permanently ever get developed, they will likely be carrying laboratory-created viruses.
It's kind of awesome (as in awe, not as in cool, dude! :-) that with all that knowledge, there's still so much that can't be done.
There's a crapload of unknown viruses, that's definitely still true.
posted by cCranium at 9:52 PM on December 1, 2001
To some degree, but what defines a virus has actually been fairly well identified. The biggest factor being that it reproduces using the host's (victim's) own DNA factories - the proteins that duplicate DNA as it gets old and dies (er, this is all a rather severe simplification) get taken over and start reproducing the virus' DNA.
Viruses have actually been used rather extensively in genetic research, and should pills you can pop to change your hair from brown to blonde permanently ever get developed, they will likely be carrying laboratory-created viruses.
It's kind of awesome (as in awe, not as in cool, dude! :-) that with all that knowledge, there's still so much that can't be done.
There's a crapload of unknown viruses, that's definitely still true.
posted by cCranium at 9:52 PM on December 1, 2001
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Thanks for the Virology site, cCranium. I just speeded through it but, hey, what a miracle - of sheer luck, I guess - so many of us are actually healthy. From the age of 6 till about 12 I had a wart on my thumb that was removed twice a year but kept growing back. Till one night it disappeared. The dermatologist told me "virus" meant "haven't the faintest idea". Still something to that, apparently.
*shiver*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 6:51 PM on December 1, 2001