Skip to main content

What are the most valuable things to know about bacteria and viruses?

Bacteria are single celled organisms that have been around for millions of years. They belong to the Kingdom Bacteria. Since bacteria are single celled, they are a type of prokaryote, which means that they lack organelles and a nucleus. Bacteria come in three shapes: bacilli (rod shaped), cocci (spherical), and spirilla (spiral and corkscrew shaped).  Some bacteria have flagella (tails) attached to them for movement. Bacteria reproduce asexually though binary fission. This is when a...

Bacteria are single celled organisms that have been around for millions of years. They belong to the Kingdom Bacteria. Since bacteria are single celled, they are a type of prokaryote, which means that they lack organelles and a nucleus. Bacteria come in three shapes: bacilli (rod shaped), cocci (spherical), and spirilla (spiral and corkscrew shaped).  Some bacteria have flagella (tails) attached to them for movement. Bacteria reproduce asexually though binary fission. This is when a bacterium has grown to nearly double in size, replicates its DNA, and then divides in half. Binary fission produces two identical daughter cells. Many bacteria are also able to exchange genetic information through conjugation. During conjugation, a hollow bridge forms between the two cells and genes move from one cell to the other.


A virus is a particle of nucleic acid, protein, and sometimes lipids. Virus comes from the Latin word for poison. Viruses reproduce by infecting other cells. Viruses are considered nonliving because they cannot reproduce on their own. Viruses have a protein coat called a capsid. The virus can infect a cell through two different processes. The lytic cycle is when the virus injects its DNA into a cell. The virus takes over the bacterium’s metabolism, causing synthesis of new viruses. The viruses get assembled inside of the host cell. Once all of the viruses are assembled, they break the cell’s cell wall, releasing more viruses into your body. Then there is the lysogenic cycle. In this cycle, the virus injects its DNA into the host cell and the virus DNA inserts itself into the host cell’s DNA. The host cell will then replicate with the virus DNA in it. A virus can stay in this cycle for weeks or years. In this case, you would not even know you had the virus until the virus transitioned into the lytic cycle, at which point you would get sick. 

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...