Comments on: Re-awakening old genes to help in the fight against viruses http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2009/05/01/re-awakening-old-genes-to-help-in-the-fight-against-viruses/ The latest news about microbiology Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:34:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: AJ Cann http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2009/05/01/re-awakening-old-genes-to-help-in-the-fight-against-viruses/comment-page-1/#comment-1242 AJ Cann Sat, 02 May 2009 06:08:25 +0000 http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/?p=2165#comment-1242 They are indeed parasites, which doesn't mean they are alive any more than a chemical reaction is alive. Please give me a definition of life which distinguishes between a bacterium and a pebble (your homework for the weekend! ;-) They are indeed parasites, which doesn’t mean they are alive any more than a chemical reaction is alive. Please give me a definition of life which distinguishes between a bacterium and a pebble (your homework for the weekend! ;-)

]]> By: Eileen http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/2009/05/01/re-awakening-old-genes-to-help-in-the-fight-against-viruses/comment-page-1/#comment-1238 Eileen Fri, 01 May 2009 23:35:23 +0000 http://www.microbiologybytes.com/blog/?p=2165#comment-1238 I just keep thinking about your post on viruses not being alive. I think why I am having trouble understanding how this can be, is why would they attack animals if they are not alive? It seems they would need to "get" something or "eat" something in the fact that they are attacking animals, and that animals have developed defenses against them. They seem to be more like some kind of parasite. Eileen I just keep thinking about your post on viruses not being alive. I think why I am having trouble understanding how this can be, is why would they attack animals if they are not alive? It seems they would need to “get” something or “eat” something in the fact that they are attacking animals, and that animals have developed defenses against them. They seem to be more like some kind of parasite.

Eileen

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