NATS 1570 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: 1918 Flu Pandemic, Edward Jenner, Viral Envelope
18 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Viruses are the most common cause of acute infections in humans. 90-95% of viruses are unknown in the environment. Can be found in animals and insects. Complex cells that are made from nucleic acid and proteins. They cannot perform metabolism on their own. Charles darwin: it is not the strongest or smartest that survives but it is the one that is adaptable to change. Natural selection of viruses focuses on its spreading capacity, not on it"s ability to cause a disease. Many viral diseases can be viewed as a failure of the virus to adapt to its host. Outside a cell: are not considered to be alive because they use up the molecules and cells from our bodies. 3700 bc, memphis, ancient egypt: typical clinical signs of paralytic poliomyelitis (polio virus) Ramesses v"s preserved mummy shows that he died of smallpox at about the age of 35 in 1143 bc. 1519: a. d. smallpox was transferred from europe to the america.
