Page 168 - The Miracle in the Cell

THE MIRACLE IN THE CELL

of critical change a virus effects to sabotage the cell's whole production
facility and derail it from its original purpose. The viral DNA places
itself in a critical location in the cell nucleus, changing the whole
meaning of the production code.
Normally, the cell reads no protein codes apart from those pro-
teins necessary to itself. But now, with the viral DNA codes locked
into its own, the cell reads both and, literally as if bewitched, begins
production. How does the virus take control of the cell's protein man-
ufacturing mechanism, and affect its enzymes, making it copy its own
viral code and produce its own proteins? This is still a mystery.
This event prepares the way for the cell's inevitable end. Dying,
the cell utilizes all its energy in producing the changed code now pre-
sent in its nucleus. In the end it dies and is torn apart. The replicated
virus, which has virtually sucked the life out of this cell, disperses
through the bloodstream to other cells and finds new victims for itself.
This viral invasion spreads exponentially (See Figure 9.3).
If it weren't for the body's defense mechanism, this invasion
would spread rapidly enough to kill a normal person within a few
days. But within a very short time, our defense system realizes that a
virus has entered the body and immediately begins a counterattack.
Consequently, a person who could otherwise die from a simple cold
virus is allowed to survive.
These interesting behaviors of viruses are as thought-provoking
as they are shocking.
First of all we need to ask how a virus found in nature can pos-
sess the knowledge to invade a human body and take over its cells?
For a virus to be able to do this, it must know the human cell inti-
mately, and must be able to find a way to incorporate its own DNA
into that of a human being's.
But it's wholly illogical to think that this could happen. A virus
is made up of only DNA with an envelope surrounding it. It cannot

166