Is there such a thing as a naturally occuring good virus??

The reason I ask this is because it occurs to me that there are good and bad bacteria in animals nature and the earth in general. Bacterium seem to have for the most part evolves through some sort of evolutionary balancing act that keeps themselves in check with the surrounding environment.

But I find myself coming up blank when trying to think of a naturally occurring virus.

What a strange evolutionary experiment in reproduction a virus is. Parasitism in general is such a redundant mechanism for growth. I mean its energy efficient but like all things that wrong with our economy its based on a model of infinite growth.

What happens to the virus once it kills off the host through replication of its own genome?

It goes into hibernation HOPING another host comes along? Seems like too much of a gamble to me.

Anyway just wanted to throw some ideas out there and see if any germinated.


Have at you ATS.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


Yes, the Cowpox Virus, it provides immunity to the Small Pox virus.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


I guess the jury is still out on it... but what about us? Mankind.

ColCurious
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

I guess the jury is still out on it... but what about us? Mankind.

ha ha I see what you did there

Jury is still out on the human virus.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


It is not really a question of good or bad but rather beneficial or harmful. As far as i know there are no naturally occurring viruses which effects are more beneficial than harmful.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


Evolution always beats design. Why? design is essentially trying to affect a future outcome based on the knowledge of the past. Evolution doesn't need design. Trial and error eventually beats design if given enough time.

What's my point?

Bacteria /viruses/ fungi appeared long before vertebrates. Vertebrates evolved through 100's of millions of years of trial and error shoulder to shoulder with these elements. Bottom line... how can you be so sure that all these things are not symbiotic with the whole human bio-system. They may all play some important role in being generally healthy. Maybe viruses bust cells that were more likely to turn cancerous anyway?

So these viral diseases run their course. Some will die but those that don't will be stronger. Case in point, measles. I personally think that eradicating measles through vaccination could actually produce an progressively larger vulnerability against a new mutated strain of measles. Surprise. Medical science has been arrogant and it's too late. oops.

There are no "good" virus naturally, even with bacterias, there is no "good" bacteria.

Some bacteria just produce "good stuff" as a by product.. In that sense, Virus, naturally, do not produce anything good to humans.

They hi-jack and disrupt.

However, tho not full understood, Virus CAN be used, like reprogramming a robot, for benefit.

Woodcarver
reply to post by TiM3LoRd

 

It is not really a question of good or bad but rather beneficial or harmful. As far as i know there are no naturally occurring viruses which effects are more beneficial than harmful.

Well, I suppose you have to ask "beneficial to whom". If you mean beneficial to humans...

Phage. There ya go.

using the ole google I've found this seems to be a topic quiet discussed. remember HG wells war of the worlds? they are kind of a natural defense system to things alien to our planet (In theory)

heres an article that says retrovirus's are important in sheep reproduction and even mammal reproduction?

www.sciencedaily.com...




and I'm reading mitochondria is virus like?

mindseye1609

and I'm reading mitochondria is virus like?

Not so much. But they are like primitive bacteria.

Bedlam

mindseye1609

and I'm reading mitochondria is virus like?

Not so much. But they are like primitive bacteria.

en.wikipedia.org...

*mind blown*

i need to quit reading. i was alot happier when i didnt have a clue

mindseye1609

Bedlam

mindseye1609

and I'm reading mitochondria is virus like?

Not so much. But they are like primitive bacteria.

en.wikipedia.org...

*mind blown*

i need to quit reading. i was alot happier when i didnt have a clue

They reproduce themselves. It's not done by the cell during mitosis like other structures. They have their own DNA. They also will attack foreign mitochondria.

You also have to have a definite nucleus to "manage" them. A bacteria without a nucleus (prokaryotic bacteria) cannot have mitochondria, and perform the function a different way. Human red blood cells, before they eject their nucleus, eject their ribosomes and mitochondria first.

eta: Some poisons work by damaging mitochondria - they're called uncouplers. The US used to have some in stock. What they do is make the mitochondria have a "short circuit". The resulting electron flow through the mitochondrial membrane cooks the cell. If you are poisoned by an uncoupler, your body temperature will soar to the point you start cooking from the inside. It's considered pretty inhumane.

If population control is your objective, there are many 'good' viral options.

Bedlam

mindseye1609

Bedlam

mindseye1609

and I'm reading mitochondria is virus like?

Not so much. But they are like primitive bacteria.

en.wikipedia.org...

*mind blown*

i need to quit reading. i was alot happier when i didnt have a clue

They reproduce themselves. It's not done by the cell during mitosis like other structures. They have their own DNA. They also will attack foreign mitochondria.

You also have to have a definite nucleus to "manage" them. A bacteria without a nucleus (prokaryotic bacteria) cannot have mitochondria, and perform the function a different way. Human red blood cells, before they eject their nucleus, eject their ribosomes and mitochondria first.

eta: Some poisons work by damaging mitochondria - they're called uncouplers. The US used to have some in stock. What they do is make the mitochondria have a "short circuit". The resulting electron flow through the mitochondrial membrane cooks the cell. If you are poisoned by an uncoupler, your body temperature will soar to the point you start cooking from the inside. It's considered pretty inhumane.

edit on 17-3-2014 by Bedlam because: (no reason given)

could this have something to do with spontaneous human combustion?

Yes.
Chicken pox as a child. You do not want that to initially spring up 20-50 years down the road..
Pretty much your common cold and viruses are essential to health as a child. We need to be exposed and introduced to these sorts of viruses so our body knows how to handle them more efficiently for later on in life. This does not include the very numerous "new" flu strains that have been popping up, especially super your "super flu" strains that are popping up. And this does not also include previously dormant viruses such and MMR.

The bacterias are too numerous to name. But I would not be overly concerned at being exposed to most of them aside from e.coli and a select number of airbourne pathogens, one being TB hit or miss, either way there is effective treatment for TB now and It's no longer a death sentence as it were 50 years ago. Salmonella, staph, tetanus (which there is a vaccine for) --- as long as you are practicing a generally responsible and safe lifestyle and cleanliness most of these can be out of sight and out of mind; of not much concern.

It goes into hibernation HOPING another host comes along? Seems like too much of a gamble to me.

Chicken pox goes into "hibernation" (dormancy) if you will. The virus will always be in your body once it's there. It's not bad that it is.
But having had chicken pox means the dormant virus can re present itself later on in life as varicella zoster (shingles) which is the "adult"" version of chicken pox.

If you happen to be one of the rare commodities who come down with shingles at a young age, I'd consider yourself one of the lucky pick as you're getting the dormant virus resurfacing event out of the way at a much younger age, as it's much more detrimental when you are aged.


Just throwing in for the sake of sanitation and prevention reasons, parents are really doing their children a disservice by obsessively using Lysol and/or disinfectant wipes etc. on EVERYTHING their child touches. Put down the disinfectant spray! Save it for places in which it is appropriate, like the bathroom and a select few other places. Dish soap and hot water will do for everything else. . Without gradual and common exposure to your every day 'stuff' you're in danger to potentially be hit detrimentally when you finally are.

reply to post by TiM3LoRd


Only if you can burst into flames at about 110 degrees. That's enough to kill you horribly but not enough to light you up.