Finding a Virus
Cells in your body have specific protein complexes on their surface which provide other cells with information, receive information or do other useful stuff.
One of these receptors is called “MHC” (major histocompatibility complex). Using MHC, the cell constantly presents a sample of the proteins that are currently being synthesized on the inside. The lymphocytes check those proteins (compare them to known antigens) and usually classify the body’s own proteins as harmless. @suesa
When a virus infects a cell, it causes the cell to produce the proteins the virus needs for its replication cycle, sometimes even completely stopping the cells own protein synthesis. The MHC complex thus presents virus protein to the lymphocytes, which recognize the protein as dangerous and swiftly kill the cell.
This way, the virus is prevented from multiplying as it requires a host cell for this process.
There are some exceptions to this mechanism. Red blood cells (erythrocytes) don’t have a MHC complex. A disease like malaria (a parasitic infection, not viral, there are still foreign proteins being produced) can thus stay undetected by the lymphocytes as long as the parasite stays inside the cell.
Some viruses, like the herpes virus, can “hide” by not forcing the cell to produce virus proteins. The herpes virus embeds itself into cells of the nervous system and only induces protein synthesis when the time is right. This way, a herpes infection can go unnoticed for a very long time before it suddenly breaks out (because of an organ transplant and the resulting immunosuppression for example).
HIV is even “smarter” because it attacks the lymphocytes themselves. The cells don’t realize they’ve been infected and the virus happily proliferates, killing the lymphocytes and ruining the adaptive immune system.
The result of this is AIDS, which allows other pathogens that have been previously controlled by the immune system to spread through and kill the body.
But more about that one another time.
Sources:
Lecture “Herpesviruses” by Prof. Friedrich Grässer
Lecture “Components of the innate and adaptive immune system” by Barbara Walch-Rückheim
First picture taken from pixabay.com, scribbles by me
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Una información de discovery channel me dejo traumada porque nos informaba que quizás en un futuro la destrucción del mundo sería por virus. Cada día la contaminación va en aumento, la falta de conciencia de las personas que no piensan en un futuro, no tanto para ellos sino para sus generaciones, que le vamos a dejar? . No pongo en duda que aquel documental se haga realidad muy pronto lo puedo confirma con las muchas enfermedades nuevas que día a día aparecen.
I have no idea what you just said, sorry. I only speak English and German.
A discovery channel information left me traumatic because it informed us that perhaps in the future the destruction of the world would be by virus. Every day the pollution is increasing, the lack of awareness of people who do not think about a future, not so much for them but for their generations, that we are going to leave? . I do not doubt that this documentary becomes reality very soon I can confirm with the many new diseases that day by day appear.
Can you name/link it? I would like to see. Thanks!
I would have to look, it is not a current documentary.
Viral diseases have been around since forever and we've survived so far. I think something else will kill us before a virus does
Everything is possible in this world, perhaps we will not see it, but future generations.
you are right.
hi friend of @suesa
Totally awesome. It is easy to learn these processes because of how you explain them.
Nothing I don't know yet from these posts. Still I love your cute little drawings. I wish they were real (and not in microscopic size) so that I could pet them 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
I'm starting with the basics, hoping that I can at one point explain the more complicated stuff. Not everyone has the same background of knowledge :D
Yeah you are right. Now that I see my comment again I get it may have sounded a bit negative.. sorry 😅😅😅
All is fine :)
Love that you are promoting science in this way. My partner is a microbiologist and infection control doctor and you have inspired her to sign up and join the community.
Ohhhhh that's cool! Tell her to visit the steemSTEM channel on steemit.chat to join the steemit science community!
I most certainly will. I work closely with the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in the UK, so I will look forward to seeing your posts
So no pressure... :P
You don't, by any chance, know people from the Maynooth University in Ireland?
lol No, I don't, but if they work in Sports Medicine, I probably follow them on social media
😂 I plan to apply for a masters program there so I wanted to check if I can network.
Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy my content, not everything is as scientific as this post you commented on.
This just shows how important the first step of immunization is. Otherwise, lymphocytes would have no way to know if a first time virus was present or not. The immune response would be much slower and the virus could multiply without any initial barrier. Depending on the type of virus, the symptoms could be devastating, but many times avoidable. If taken care of.
An interesting strategy using this natural mechanism, without previous vaccination, is used for viruses with a very slow multiplication rate. Therefore, with large incubation periods.
See the case of the rabies virus. It is usual to vaccinate someone right after getting bitten by a possibly infected animal. The vaccine will trigger a fast response from our immune system (a lot of antigens circulating). The adaptive immune system produces the newly rabies virus targeted lymphocytes at a much faster rate than the virus can multiply. Now, the new lymphocytes are able to detect the cells infected with rabies viruses before symptoms could appear.
Thanks for sharing!
Love those drawings!!! I'm reading that when lessons are over for today! :D
thank you for posting it, very helpful to increase knowledge.
nice comment.
It's nothing new. People new it from ancient times. For example, people did not know about cancer like they do today, but when they saw some similiar signs, they used lemon+sodiumbicarbonate to cure it. It's only recently published that this mixture detects only infected cell and destroys them.
I am not a scientist therefore i sometimes don't get the real reason under some things. But often i look to ancient times and get what i need :)
Yeah. It's a known fact ancient people didn't die from cancer, ebola, or even the common flu because lemons..
Well i don't believe that, lemons don't grow all over the world!!
Quoting a paragraph on your post.
"Some viruses, like the herpes virus, can “hide” by not forcing the cell to produce virus proteins. The herpes virus embeds itself into cells of the nervous system and only induces protein synthesis when the time is right. This way, a herpes infection can go unnoticed for a very long time before it suddenly breaks out (because of an organ transplant and the resulting immunosuppression for example)."
I have a 53 year old diabetic patient who is a right trans-tibial amputee, he recently started developing some blister looking bumps all over his skin and the stump thus affecting the prosthetic socket fit and stump comfort, he told me his doctor diagnosed him of herpes simplex virus which is most commonly seen as an STI and the patient has confirmed not to have had unprotected sex for about 25 years now and is wife is not diagnosed with herpes as well.....my question is how long could it take the virus to Manifest and apart from sexual infections what other ways could one get infected with Herpes
Ah, I'm not a medical doctor so I don't know all the ways. But a herpes virus stays, after the infection, for the rest of a human's life. Manifestation can happen after decades or never.
A herpes virus is usually transmitted via contact of mucous membranes so sex, birth, oral sex and even kissing can transmit it. Genital herpes appears in the oral region and oral herpes in the genital region quite frequently.
Your patient might have cought it in his early youth or even as a child. Even an innocent kiss on the lips from parent to child can transmit herpes without anyone noticing and the initial infection can happen without symptoms.
very nice post. great information and mostly i like this gif image.