How the Herpes Simplex Virus Works
Herpes simplex viral
body is at the static condition in the extracellular, basically is similar with the
lifeless matter, after the virus enters the living cell then to display its biological
activity. Due to the lack of the integrity the enzyme system as well as ribose body,
herpes simplex virus could not use its own raw material and the energy to synthesize
necessary ingredients on its own. Therefore it must invade the host cell, using enzyme
system, raw material and the energy of host cell to duplicate virus's nucleic acid,
translate virus's protein with the aid of host cell ribose body. This is so-called
"Viral Replication Cycle". The viral duplication process divides into 5 steps:
the adsorption, penetrates, uncoating, biosynthesis and assembly & releases.
When HSV enters the body, the
infection process typically takes place as follows:
- The virus comes in contact with broken skin or the lining of
the mouth, vagina, or anus.
- The virus goes to the nuclei of the cells and tries to
reproduce itself, or replicate.
- Even though the cells are infected, most people do not get
symptoms.
- Sometimes the virus's replication process destroys the cells
it has invaded causing blisters or ulcers to form on the skin.
- The blisters or ulcers crust over and heal without scarring.
- The virus is transported back through the nerve to important
nerve branching points called ganglia deep in the body.
- The virus stays in the ganglia in an inactive, or latent,
form. During this time the virus does not replicate. It stays in this latent form for
varying amounts of time.
- Certain triggers may cause the virus to travel back down the
nerve to the skin and cause symptoms again. This is known as recurrence.
Most of us at one time
or another have had colds or the flu, and we are especially vulnerable during the cold and
flu season. The symptoms -- fever, congestion, coughing, sore throat -- spread through
offices, schools and homes, no matter where in the world we live. Colds and flu
(influenza) are caused by viruses. Viruses are responsible for many other serious,
often deadly, diseases including acquired
immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), Ebola hemorrhagic fever, infectious hepatitis
and herpes. How can viruses cause so much trouble? What makes us so vulnerable to
them, and what makes them spread?
Read the full
article and illustrations of how virus works at Science Forum of HowStuffWorks.com
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