Appliance of science: What is a virus?

We are all familiar with the word and we have certainly experienced the down side of them, but what exactly is a virus? Are they any different to bacteria and are there any benefits to sharing our planet with them? Dr Naomi Lavelle has the answers.

What exactly is a virus?

We are all familiar with travelling light, but the virus takes the idea of hand luggage only to the extreme. They literally just contain some strands of genetic material and some proteins. These are the most basic components needed to maintain life. Except viruses can’t exactly maintain life, they need help when it comes to replicating, making more of themselves; they need a host to do some of the work for them and that is why all viruses are parasites!