Viruses, Mononucleosis, Immune system - Research Paper Example

Viruses, Mononucleosis, and Immune System Viruses Viruses are tiny bits of genetic material wrapped in a protective protein coat and is considered as the simplest living things on Earth. It is also known as the ultimate parasites and depends primarily on the host (Goldstein, 4). The structure of viruses has particles called virions and is constructed with helical symmetry containing only one protein or very few proteins (Strauss & Strauss, 36). Viruses that are simple and regular in structure often crystallize which have made them suitable for X-ray diffraction.

Unlike all living things, viruses are not cells. They are called parasites because they cannot do anything without a host and cannot carry out their own life functions just like what a cell does. In order for viruses to cause harm to its target host, viruses must invade and manipulate the living cell in order to replicate or copy their own genetic material (Goldstein, 4). Some viruses can only infect certain type of organisms because of lapses in the immune system’s defense mechanism. Mononucleosis Infectious Mononucleosis (Mono) or Kissing’s Disease is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus that infects the cells of the throat and the immune system (Decker, Hecht, Babcock, 8).

Patient with this condition has elevated mononuclear cells and the virus will always be in the patient’s body, shedding it periodically in the saliva. It is also referred as the Kissing’s Disease because the primary mode of transmission is through kissing or sharing of utensils (Gedatus, 6). Infectious mononucleosis, however, cannot be transmitted through air. The incubation period, (the time from exposure to the disease to the development of symptoms) varies with regards to age. An adult takes 4-6 weeks for the symptoms to develop while children and adolescents take only 7-14 days (Gedatus, 11).

The signs and symptoms of mononucleosis include the classic triad (fever, pharyngitis, and cervical lymphadenopathy), fatigue/malaise, and splenomegaly (Bracker, 478). The treatment used in mononucleosis is mainly supportive and symptomatic to avoid splenic rupture. Patients are instructed to avoid contact sports and jarring movements as well as the use of alcohol. Use of stool softeners is also encouraged to avoid increase in intra-abdominal pressure (Bracker, 479). Mononucleosis can be prevented by altering or avoiding the mode of transmission and by thorough handwashing.

Immune System The immune system is the body’s main defense system against infection and foreign invaders such as viruses. The host responds to virus infection depending on type: either innate immunity or adaptive immunity (Dimmock, Easton, Leppard, 193). The immune system is making a battle against viruses to protect the human body. As viruses enter the body, the immune system comes into contact with soluble components (e.g., interferon, cytokines, chemokine, complement) and cells (macrophages, dendritic cells, PMNL, and NK cells) and act nonspecifically to delay the activity of viruses.

The death of the interferon or viruses will cause the immune system to cause inflammatory response. If the viruses successfully invade the cell, the cell will release killer T cell and will act specifically to the virus that will match its own proteins. Immunoglobulin may also combat virus infectivity through direct neutralizing and binding to viruses, activation of complement, and insertion of pore structures. Viruses are disposed from the system through phagocytosis where IgG act as a ligand for phagocytes that have Fc receptors proteins on their surface.

Works Cited Bracker, Mark D. The Five Minute Sports Medicine Consult, Philadelphia, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2001. p. 478-479. Decker, Janet, Allan Hecht &Hilary Babcock. Deadly Diseases and Epidemics: Mononucleosis, 2nd ed. New York, Infobase Publishing, 2009. p. 8-11. Dimmock, Nigel J., Andrew J.Easton & Keith Leppard. Introduction to Modern Virology, 6th ed. Massachusetts, Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2007. p. 193-213. Gedatus, Gustav Mark. Mononucleosis. Minnesota, Capstone Press, 2000. p. 4-12.

Goldstein, Natalie. Viruses: Germs The Library of Disease-Causing Organisms. New York, The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2004. p. 4-8. Strauss, James H. &Ellen G. Strauss. Viruses and Human Disease, 2nd ed. Massachusetts, Elsevier Academic Press Publications, 2008. p. 35-62.