How do viruses get into the body? | Ask A Biologist
Mar 23, 2020 · What is a virus?Before talking about how viruses work, let’s take a look at what a virus is, exactly. A virus is a kind of infectious particle, made of genetic code in a protective shell. Most …
Virus | Ask A Biologist
Feb 16, 2011 · Virus Parts The most simple viruses have only two parts: 1) a genome (DNA or RNA) that is a blueprint with instructions for making more viruses and 2) a capsid protein shell that protects …
What Do Viruses Do When They Are Dormant? | Ask A Biologist
Oct 17, 2018 · When a virus infects our cells, it can do a lot of damage. But, in some cases, certain viruses get into a cell and go dormant, kind of like they are taking a nap. If we are going to better …
Antibiotics - Ask A Biologist
Jul 8, 2014 · Antibiotics will kill the strep bacteria but they do nothing against against viruses. Doctors need to figure out what microbe is making you sick in order to help. If a doctor suspects strep …
Memory B-Cell | Ask A Biologist
Aug 4, 2011 · Memory Cells If your body fights a virus once, the same virus will probably try to attack again. After all the work it took to get rid of that first infection, it would be a shame to have to do it all …
T-Cells - Ask A Biologist
Feb 16, 2011 · T-cells are a type of white blood cell that work with macrophages. Unlike macrophages that can attack any invading cell or virus, each T-cell can fight only one type of virus. You might think …
How Can We Reduce Antibiotic Resistance of Bacteria? - Ask A Biologist
Jul 18, 2017 · If we have a broader range of antibiotics that work in different ways, we can reduce our reliance on a few specific antibiotics. This would give us more medical weapons to fight bacteria, and …
Macrophages - Ask A Biologist
Feb 14, 2011 · Bringing in more help Macrophages and neutrophils work to keep the body clean of debris and invaders, but they also call for backup when an infection is too big for the two of them to …
B-cells | Ask A Biologist
Feb 16, 2011 · Unlike T-cells and macrophages, B-cells don’t kill viruses themselves. In the Viral Attack story, the B-cell sweeps up the leftover viruses after the T-cell attack. Actually, B-cells are as …
Bacteria, Fungi, and Viruses | Ask A Biologist
Jul 23, 2014 · You know you're sick, but what might you have? Is it bacteria, fungi, or viruses that are causing your illness? Learn about the differences between these pathogens and about how certain …