Learn about Viruses in this educational video from dizzo95.
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Male Speaker: Viruses are tiny parasites that reproduce inside the cells of a host. The host body provides the materials that the virus needs to survive and replicate. In humans, viral infections cause illnesses ranging from the common cold and flu to hepatitis and aids. Infection can be caused when virus particles called virions become active inside a host. The virions which consist of nucleic acid surrounded by a coat of protein transfer their nucleic acid to adjacent cells. This creates new proteins and new virions, which can start another cycle of infection and spread throughout the host. But viral infections can often be prevented by vaccination. A vaccine consists of a dead virus which causes the body's immune system to form appropriate antibodies. Antibodies are proteins found in the blood that attach themselves to any foreign substance and neutralize it. Medical researchers are constantly seeking new vaccines to fight disease-causing viruses.