The reason why I'm ill
I can't sleep, I've slept all day trying to become well...One thing that has always puzzled me is that there seem to be a reason, for existance, for every little biological thing on this earth, except for man and viruses. I can understand why we humans fail to have a purpose since we are on top of the food chain and by beeing that, you can not be anything but a parasite. (I have not gotten this idea from the movie Matrix, even though the idea sippers through that movie in a very illustrious way)
Viruses on the other hand can not also be on top of the food chain, for one; They are not a living thing, even though they are biological, they are mix of nucleids and proteins bunched together. Secondly; They are not a part of some ecological system (I don't believe they are, any way), they don't produce anything (like oxygen, nitrogen, methan gas and so on), they are not food for any other bug or thing.
They simply attacks us. We often fend them off without us even noticing them (I, however, do notice them right now, and by acknowledging them I hope they will go away), but sometime they wreck such havoc we simply die. They then die them self. So what was the point of entering the body in the first place, if you die with your host.
The host infect others.... is it simply a queston of - reproduce or extinguish -? Perhaps, but that doesn't in any way answer the question.
My hypotheses could be "religious" by saying that viruses are "gods" or Natures
way of controling the population of living things on earth. But I don't really believe that, or perhaps I do, I don't know.
My scientifical hypotheses is on the other hand that viruses gives the evolution a push forward. By mutating cells and DNA/RNA they erradicate "stuff" (I love beeing scientifical) that isn't suitable anymore, and promotes the "stuff" that is.
Could I be right? Could a virolog please stand up...
posted by Niklas at Thursday, March 09, 2006
2 Comments:
Alright, I'm no expert I warn you, but here's some background and an idea of my own...
The actual origin of viruses is unknown. Many like to joke that they came from another planet on some comet that blasted against Earth's surface when obviously no one was living. There are, however, no fossilized samples of viruses. They are pretty ~small~ (Heh... I think we all know that) small enough that not even amber (The substance that has preserved some DNA samples of the past ages) could have captured them.
So it is most probable that viruses came about the time life began... no one knows for sure though. Today, I think virologist are more interested in the viruses evolution and effects than it's origins.
Anyway, here's an idea for their existence. I don't know how familiar you are with DNA and RNA replication... In any case, there is a stage that is called 'Transcription.' It deals with the splicing, or in normal English, cutting of certain sequences from an RNA strand to produce a protein.
Anyway, during this process, we are left with two products: the introns and the exons. Exons are the part of the RNA sequence used to make the needed protein. Introns, however, are, shall we say, left to hang around. Introns are used somehow, but we are not certain ~exactly~ how.
Suppose, therefore, that these “unused” sequences somehow arrange themselves to built a protein which eventually originates a virus… Very plausible I think. This may also be the explanation for prions and such alien like atoms wandering around attacking our poor human body.
Your hypothesis of pushing forth evolution is a neat one… I had never thought of it that way…
Wow… I have written an essay. Heh. Sorry. I fell like a nerd now. Oh well. Perhaps I ~am~ one. Heh.
Wow thanks sesq. Don't worry about beeing a nerd, we're all nerds in a our own specific expertise or area of interest.
Perhaps I've understood you wrong you answer the questions where and how. And that's all good. The last and most painfull question a scientist have to answer is why.
Prions seem to be sort of like cancer but on a protein level.
It sort of feel like God made the world and everything in 7 days. On the eighth day the devil made viruses.