Are Viruse Alive

The Boundaries of Life
IN A SMALL VILLAGE in Guinea, a huge, hollow tree housed thousands of bats.

The tree was a magnet for local children, who loved to play inside it and catch the
bats. Scientists hypothesize that this is where two-year-old Emile Ouamouno, the
first victim of the recent massive Ebola epidemic, may have become infected.
Emile died in December 2013, followed by his mother and siblings. This set off a
chain of transmission that has since killed more than 10,500 people, roughly half of
those who became infected. The Ebola virus can lurk in rain-forest animals
including certain types of bats, porcupines, chimpanzees, gorillas, and antelope—
all of which are consumed in parts of Africa.
The threat of Ebola virus disease (“Ebola”) strikes fear in anyone familiar with its
symptoms, which often begin with fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, and
stomach pains and progress to vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and organ failure.
Internal hemorrhaging can leave victims bleeding from nearly every orifice. Death
usually occurs within 7 to 16 days after the onset of symptoms, and
there is no cure; the death rate ranges from 25% to 90%. Ebola is so contagious
that caregivers wear “moon suits” to avoid contact with any body fluids from
their patients.
Ebola is one of many diseases caused by viruses. Although some

viral diseases, such as smallpox and polio, have been largely eradicated, others,
like the common cold and influenza (flu), continue to make us miserable.
Most alarming are the contagious and deadly viruses that have
emerged in recent history. AIDS (caused by the human immunodeficiency
virus, HIV) was first documented in 1981 in San Francisco, and Ebola was first
identified in 1976 (and named after Africa’s Ebola River, where one of the first
outbreaks occurred). New types of flu virus emerge regularly; a few of
these cause a very high mortality rate and raise fears of a widespread epidemic.
No matter how you measure it, viruses are enormously successful.
Although many consist only of a small amount of genetic material surrounded by
protein, viruses infect every known formof life and are the most abundant biological
entity on the planet.
Viruses can rapidly increase in number and spread among organisms they infect.
Yet in spite of these lifelike qualities, not all scientists agree about whether to
classify viruses as living organisms or as inert parasitic biological particles. The
basis for this argument may surprise you: There is no universally accepted
scientific definition of life. What is life, anyway?
• Texto modificado de: Auderisk, G., Auderisk, T. & Byers, B. 2017. Biology: Life on Earth with
Physiology. Pearson.
¿Están vivos los virus? Los virus liberan su material genético dentro de las células y luego
secuestran los suministros de energía de la célula y la maquinaria bioquímica, convirtiendo
la célula en una especie de fábrica que produce muchas copias de partes virales.
Estas partes se reúnen en un ejército de partículas de virus. Los virus recién formados
emergen de la célula huesped, a menudo rompiéndola en el proceso. Algunos tipos de virus,
incluidos el VIH y el virus del Ébola adquieren una envoltura exterior hecha de membrana
plasmática de las células infectadas a medida que emergen. Los virus no obtienen o utilizan
su propia energía o materiales, mantenerse, o crecer. Los virus responden a estímulos
uniéndose a sitios específicos de las células que atacan, y algunos científicos consideran la
replicación viral una forma de reproducción. Los virus también evolucionan, a menudo a
una velocidad sorprendente.
Ciertos tipos de virus, incluidos el Ébola, el VIH y la gripe, son muy descuidados a la hora de
copiar su material genético y mutan unas 1.000 veces más a menudo que la célula animal
promedio. Una consecuencia de esta rápida mutación es que virus como el de la gripe
evolucionan rápidamente; las vacunas contra la gripe deben inmunizarlo contra diferentes
tipos de gripe cada año. Asimismo, más de 200 virus diferentes pueden provocar síntomas
de "resfriado común", lo que explica por qué sigues teniendo nuevos resfriados a lo largo
de la vida.
• Texto modificado de: Auderisk, G., Auderisk, T. & Byers, B. 2017. Biology: Life on Earth with
Physiology. Pearson.

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The Boundaries of Life

IN A SMALL VILLAGE in Guinea, a huge, hollow tree housed thousands of bats.

Ebola is one of many diseases caused by viruses. Although some

secuestran los suministros de energía de la célula y la maquinaria bioquímica, convirtiendo

emergen de la célula huesped, a menudo rompiéndola en el proceso. Algunos tipos de virus,

su propia energía o materiales, mantenerse, o crecer. Los virus responden a estímulos

una velocidad sorprendente.

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