Viruses: our trouble spotters
A virus is a tiny microbe containing nucleic acid (its own RNA or DNA). Up to a hundred times smaller than a bacterium, millions of viruses can fit onto a pinhead. We are host to quadrillions of them.
Viruses are not alive! They can only originate out of a living cell’s DNA and most of those detected stay quietly associated the gene pool. They make up about 8% of our genes (‘genome’) and can play roles in important biological processes. If something upsets the cell they can be expelled as packages of DNA or RNA and in this form may infect other cells. They cannot replicate on their own and use the host cell DNA to replicate and multiply within the body.
The relationship between your body and viruses is therefore a constant balancing act.
A healthy cell keeps its viral genetic material in check. If the cell is provoked to expel (‘express’) viral particles a healthy immune system will usually dispose of them out in the circulation.
Viruses are often expressed by cells that are already damaged or weakened. Once released they are likely to infect only those cells with reduced defences or altered surface proteins. Cells that are ageing or stressed are more susceptible to viral infection. Once a virus becomes active in a cell it can change its outward presentation and makes it a target for the body’s immune system.
Viruses may therefore function as tissue cleaners and even as a form of natural selection within the tissues. They can potentially remove damaged or dysfunctional cells. However they can also get this function wrong. Many cases of cancer and autoimmune disease have been shown to have started with viral activation of the cells involved.
If we see viruses as highlighting damaged or weakened cells then their transmission as infections could also be seen as a ruthless extension of that role! The most efficient viruses could be those most effective at identifying vulnerable tissues in other hosts. Some people are vulnerable to colds or flu outbreaks that do not bother others. They might benefit from attention to their core defences.
Herpes virus is an example of a troublesome and even infective virus that is quietly carried by anyone who has had chickenpox. They only erupt as blisters if the nerve cells they live in can no longer ‘keep them in their box’. There are a few factors in play which contribute to a dormant virus becoming dangerous, including a nutritional deficiency, weakened immune system, environmental triggers and viral genetic mutations.
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