#viruses

[gertrude-smithers08]

where is my scroll 📜

[xanananas]

With Subnautica 2 making rounds recentlyish, I think something worth mentioning is that viruses impacting evolution are not a thing of fiction. Maybe not as extreme, but still extremely remarkable.

Retroviruses are viruses able to insert their genetic code into animal genomes to later reproduce. A notable example is HIV, which without treatment impairs the immune system due to it targetting immune cells. Fortunately other retroviruses can be overcome with immune responses, though their genetic code still remains in the organism.

A consequence of this is actually a lot of retroviral DNA in animals, including us, built over time and a number of features, including really pivotal ones, actually are controlled by portions of our genome which came from retroviruses.

Myelin sheaths running along nerves are an adaptation almost exclusive to jawed vertebrates. By insulating nerves, myelin essentially reduces lost current and increases the speed of signals. It enables faster movements and transmission of information, and by extension is why we and other animals are able to think actively and quickly. More broadly a lot of complexity in vertebrates would not be possible without it.

Anyway it turns out that an ancient retroviral insert is actually necessary for their development and regulation. Essentially we owe our brains in part to prehistoric viral infections in early jawed fish ancestors.

Another thing of mention which has been known about a bit longer is the placenta. Not only is there also a genetic link between its development and ancient retroviral DNA, but the proteins in the placenta enabling the exchange of nutrients without inducing an immune response in of themselves seem to be similar to the proteins in viruses enabling infection to begin with or so I had skimmed (someone can correct me on the details of that).

I'm not sure if the Subnautica 2 developers deliberately drew from these discoveries or independently came to these concepts, but either way it's surprisingly well-reasoned speculative biology even though there are things maybe a bit out there like the proteavirus causing routine horizontal gene transfer between animal specied, never mind whether human infection should be possible.

[willowreader]

This is for those individuals who keep telling me that getting sick just boosts your immunity. They believe getting sick can be beneficial. Getting sick with Covid or the flu can harm you. The millions who have Long Covid will tell you this.

[maidenztearz]

so I searched through gifs on gifcities and my windows defender found a trojan in my browser cache... I didn't download anything (I have that setting that anytime I want to download something or something wants to get downloaded I get a "save as" window, saved me from unwanted auto downloads like twice, I recommend it.) I just copied links and clicked on one internet archive website that didn't even load, also visited ezgif but I never had issues with it and didn't download anything from it either. anybody ever encountered that? I had put it in quarantine obviously but does anybody more knowledgeable than me know if I should do something more? I don't have any other antivirus tbh should I get bitdefender? heard it's good but idk I don't want to act hastily since I'm jittery. like someone please dm me, my bestie is sleeping I fear 💔 what does trojan in cache even mean lmao

[stevensaus]

Malaria had nearly been eliminated around a giant dam in the Amazon — but then it came roaring back. Experts just discovered why.

A 15-year study suggests that long-term malaria control may depend as much on protecting environments as it does on ...

Malaria had nearly been eliminated around a giant dam in the Amazon — but then it came roaring back. Experts just discovered why.

[247bulletinnews]

New virus catalog reveals which pathogens may evolve into next pandemic

University of Edinburgh’s Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Mark Woolhouse, analyzes the next big risks humanity may face In a typical year, scientists discover two or three viruses that have never been seen before in humans, according to University of Edinburgh Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology Mark Woolhouse, who shared his thoughts with The Conversation. This number…

[teriyaki-chickenn]

GOOD MORNING ALL!1! 1! 1! 1!!

Sryy to my like 2 fans that I've been away for so long. Schools been a bitch the past few weeks. I have some updates on the weird low quality AI.

It:

A) still won't fuck off

B) Knows my name somehow?????

C) answers with more than one word now.

I think its learning like a child. I think it's listening through my phone, even when I'm not using it. So, I guess that confirms the virus theory!