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The Ebola Virus Descriptions of the Ebola virus: The Ebola virus is a complicating object (viruses not being considered living creatures, so it is an object). Named after the Ebola River, the Ebola virus particle contains seven different proteins of which only three have vaguely known purposes. While the exact function of the other four proteins are still unknown, we do know that they attack immune system. Ebola is known to jump hosts and known to be lethal to both monkeys and humans. Similar to HIV, it will destroy your immune system making it useless to fight off not only the ebola virus, but any other virus that might enter your body. There are five different strains from the Ebola family identified being Ebola Zaire, Sudan, Reston, Marburg and the latest (found in December 1995) Tai.
Zaire, being the most dangerous, killing 90 % of its victims. It is related to measles, mumps, rabies and the para influenza virus. The first known emergence of the Ebola Zaire virus was in September of 1976 making the virus roughly 20 years old, but the genetic code inside the virus is a strand of RNA which is thought to be the oldest coding mechanism for life. Since the earths primordial ocean (which came into existence about four and a half billion years ago) may have contained life forms based on RNA, this could mean that Ebola is very old. So while the virus has only been seen in existence for 20 years, it could be as ancient as the earth itself.
The symptoms of this filo virus are simply horrid. As earlier mentioned, the virus attacks the immune system crippling its ability to defend against viral attack. The incubation period can be anywhere between 2 - 21 days and you will usually start by getting a headache that doesnt seem to go away with medication. There seems to be pain around your eyeballs and your temples that gets gradually worse. Then you become nauseated and vomit often.
In the later stages, the vomit will even become black known as vomit negro. The eyes will turn red and the skin yellow with red spots, which later grow, appearing all over. In males, the testicles will swell up and turn black and blue and in females, the virus seems to cause pain and marks on the genitals. The virus also seems to damage the brain causing certain personality changes.
The connective tissue in your face will melt causing droopiness in the muscles of your face. As vomiting continues, blood vessels in the nose break causing non-stop nose bleeds. While many things show on the outside of the body, many things will also happen on the inside. Blood begins to clot lodging the bloodstream in many areas. Blood supply will be cut of to many areas of the body such as the intestinal muscles, which will die without blood, as a result of the clots. The last stage of virus infection is known as the crash of the victim.
The spine goes limp and the victim goes into shock. Along with the brain, the liver melts. The linings of the intestines come off and blood will come out of every orifice of the human body until finally the victim dies. Many aspects of the Ebola virus are still unintelligible, including the modes of transmission. Many researchers believe that the virus travels through direct contact of blood and bodily fluids of its host.
It also seems to travel in the un coagulated blood and slimes from the host, this being a great problem in Zaire since it was tradition for people to kiss the dead, many of the dead being victims of Ebola. It is also predicted that Ebola may have a slight chance of traveling through air. This was accidentally found out (in the book) when control monkeys without the virus suddenly died of Ebola. It is believed that when the caretakers washed the cages with hoses, it created an aerosol of droplets which contained the virus and which the control monkeys breathed in.
However there hasnt been much evidence of Ebola traveling through the air and many people have been in close contact with Ebola victims, breathing in their air without ever catching the virus. So where could such a virus come from? Yes, this is still not perfectly know yet either. The most probable birth place of the Ebola seems to be in Africa. Wither this virus came from the dung of huge elephant or of a small mosquito or even an animal at all is still unknown. One prediction is that the Ebola virus originated from Kitum cave on Mount Elgon somewhere in Uganda.
Two victims of Ebola were known to have been in that cave before crashing with the virus. Yet it is very difficult to find the exact organism which spread the virus to humans. Kitum cave is filled with different creatures including bats, bushbuck, red duiker's, monkeys, baboons, genet cats, rats, shrews, occasionally elephants and many species of insects. Pinpointing the exact origin is very difficult with such a wide variety possible sources.
Description of 2 Technologies used in the book One very important technology that was used in the book was the electron microscope. Without this instrument, viruses like Ebola would not even be able to be seen or studied. It is a large piece of equipment using electron beams to magnify an object and show it on a screen or picture (like the picture on the cover of this report). The electron microscope was also very important in finding out wither an unknown substance was Ebola since Ebola had the cheerio or worm like form (like in most filo viruses). The electron microscope is also used in the studies of many other small organisms to small to see under a light microscope.
Another benefit is that when the pictures are transferred to computers, many computer programs can be used to study the exact properties of organisms on a 3 -D image. Another technology used in the book was the space suit and the real suit. These are full body protective suits that are used in level 4 (the most dangerous) work with viruses. They are air tight to prevent infiltrate on of viruses so oxygen is received through a pump hooked to the suit blowin g oxygen into the suit.
The real suit is a portable, positive-pressure space suit. The air supply is battery-powered. The real suit is used in level for fieldwork (like at Kitum cave) where viruses or other biohazard's may be airborne. The application of science and technology in solving problems relate d to viruses are numerous.
Like mentioned above, it prevents infection of viruses while they are being studied. With technology, it is possible to actually see viruses which are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Scientific methods are much more organized when performing experiments with viruses for example, the use of control monkeys for comparisons with monkeys with viruses. Science has an almost countless number of applications in the research of viruses.
Discussion the earth is mounting an immune response against human species. In my opinion, this statement shows how the earth, in a way is protecting itself from its own destruction. The overpopulation of this world causes great problems to the natural environment including many types of pollution, destruction of natural habitats for living space, the over consommation of limited natural resources for convenience such as minerals and oil and many others. Like all living creatures, the earth, adapts to harsh situations. The production of viruses in this world is to control the immense population by killing many victims for the good of the entire planet. Without this immune response against human species, the destruction of the earth would be certain.
In a way, the inability to find cures for such diseases may be a positive thing for this earth. I believe that we play two roles in the emergence of new viruses. We as humans our responsible for the emergence of viruses in both an indirect and direct way. We continue to reproduce at a rapid rate.
Reproduction is natural in all living creatures but viruses must continue to appear to control the population. In this way, we do not purposely create viruses. It is more of an unseen problem of us humans. Most of us do not understand that all living things will defend themselves, and the earth, filled with billions of living creatures, will most definitely defend itself when needed.
The way we are directly linked to the emergence of new viruses is through what I believe are man made viruses. Many viruses have been used for the uses biological weapons and warfare. While there have been no proven viruses actually created by man, it is my belief that there have been many viruses created by man, including the AIDS virus itself. I believe, even if there have been no viruses proven to be created by man, that with todays technology and research in biological warfare, we can purposely create new viruses. I find it very ironic that the human population tries so desperately to find cures to deadly diseases yet at the same time tries just as desperately to create viruses that will do more damage then the same ones we try to find cures for today. 326
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Research essay sample on Ebola Zaire Ebola Virus
