1️⃣ Mikrobiologie

In cooperation with the Hygiene Technology Competence Center Bamberg and the Amberg-Weiden University of Applied Sciences

What are viruses?

Viruses are infectious organic structures that spread outside cells by transmission, but can only replicate within a suitable host cell.

Source: Wikipedia

Viruses have a simple structure

They consist of genetic information and are sometimes surrounded by a protein shell. This genetic material contains the information for their reproduction. Unlike bacteria, viruses do not consist of their own cells, nor do they have their own metabolism. Therefore, strictly speaking, they are not living organisms. They cannot reproduce without external help.

🎥 Summary

What are viruses? (CC BY 4.0)

Source: 3sat nano/ Raketenfilm / Titus Gust / Konstantin Fuchs Text

Where do viruses occur?

Viruses are the most successful creatures of evolution; they have been there from the beginning.

Viruses invade animal, plant, or human cells and thus regulate the animal and plant population. They use these living cells as "host cells." They can also persist in the environment for a very long time and remain infectious. However, if they cannot find a new host cell, they will die sooner or later.

How do viruses enter human cells?

Not all viruses in our environment infect humans. And not all viruses that infect humans actually make us sick. Our immune systems often react quickly and successfully fight off the invaders. Nevertheless, there are some diseases that are caused by viruses.

A virus can only infect a human cell if it can attach itself precisely to the cell's receptors with its "spikes" (Key-lock mechanism). The cell's receptors are actually designed to import important substances or serve as "ignition keys" for various processes. The viral spike is thus something like a false key.