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Viruses are disease agents with small sizes that can be deadly if they infect a person's cells. The content contained in viruses, is different from the content contained in other microorganisms.
Most microorganisms are single or multicellular cells in small form, in contrast to viruses. Viruses only contain genetic material such as RNA or DNA covered with protein. This section is known as the capsid. Some viruses also contain fat in the capsid.
Viruses can only reproduce if they are present in a suitable host cell. Its very small body, which makes it easier for it to pass through the body's cell defense mechanisms without difficulty. Once the virus arrives in the cell, it will go to the cell nucleus, and infect the DNA RNA material that the virus has. The virus then multiplies and the infection spreads to all other parts of the body.
Can antibiotics kill viruses?
Some people think that the virus can be killed using antibiotics, in fact they are not. This is because the characteristics of viruses are different from bacteria. In addition, the purchase of antibiotics should use a doctor's prescription. Giving too many antibiotics, could actually make the body resistant to these antibiotics, or it is called antibiotic resistance.
How to kill a virus?
Some people think the virus can't be killed. But it turns out, with the sophistication of current science, viruses can be killed with something known as an antiviral or antiviral.
This antivirus is designed to inhibit the virus infection process. This is because it is impossible for the virus to reproduce without infecting the host cell. This effort can be done in various ways. One way that can be done is to block the virus from reaching the host cell, so that the release of material possessed by the virus can be prevented before it reaches the nucleus of the host cell that it wants to infect.
Various types of antivirals have also been developed, targeting the enzymes and proteins of the infected host cell, which are then used to combine new pieces of virus particles and prevent them from functioning properly. Other types of antiviral can kill viruses indirectly, by increasing the ability of the immune system of the infected host cells to fight viral infections.
Can viral infections be prevented?
Viruses can be prevented by using vaccines. Vaccines reduce the risk of the virus infecting by cooperating with the body's natural immune system of the host cell. Vaccines help the immune system fake the infection. This process does not cause pain, but rather triggers the immune system to produce antibodies. Plus, once the body manages to fake the infection, the memory will remain in the body so that it will be able to react if the same virus infects at a later date.
Unfortunately, it took a long research to study a virus until it finally produced an antiviral and a vaccine.
