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Article: How SARS, other viruses work.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- April 29, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Robert S. Boyd
WASHINGTON _ SARS, West Nile, HIV, measles, flu, the common cold. All these afflictions and many more have one thing in common: They are caused by viruses, the smallest, most primitive, most troublesome creatures on Earth.
Even though viruses can move and reproduce, most scientists don't consider them to be alive. They don't grow, eat or use energy _ basic attributes of life. They work only by hijacking living cells.
Here are some basic facts about viruses:
Q. What is a virus?
A. It's a tiny packet of genes, wrapped in a coat of chemical compounds called proteins. A virus is not a cell and is unable to ...