Page 166 - The Miracle in the Cell

THE MIRACLE IN THE CELL

Protein sheath
DNA

E. coli cell Tail
membrane

DNA

Figure 9.1
Viruses attached to the cell membrane, about to dissolve it and inject them-
selves into the cell and their own DNA or RNA into the nucleus

in effect, means that the "guts" of the virus itself enters the cell, leav-
ing its protein coat behind.
After this initial event, the mechanisms inside the cell are now
deceived by the virus. The cell does not identify this new DNA that
has just entered as foreign. It is transported to the nucleus, where the
cell's own DNA is located. The viral DNA now reaches the nucleus
and is incorporated into the cell's DNA. From this point on, the cell
begins to replicate the viral DNA, thinking it is just making the cell's
ordinary proteins. Unaware of the difference, the cell continues its
production of the viral DNA.
Actually it is very difficult for the cell to realize this deception.
Differentiating between viral DNA that's become incorporated into
the cell's DNA would be like trying to find a sentence hidden on one
page of a 20-volume encyclopedia. Thanks to this cunning strategy,
the virus can insert itself into the cell's programming mechanism and
actually become a part of the cell itself.
It's possible to completely change the meaning of a sentence sim-
ply by flipping a phrase or a few words in it. And this is just the type

164