Biology | What Is A Virus And How Does A Vaccination Work?
What is a virus and how does a vaccination work?
A virus is a microscopic parasitic organism that reproduces only inside a cell of its host (a human or other animal). A virus enters the host's cell and takes over that cell's DNA-producing functions. This causes the host cell to produce more of the virus's DNA, enabling the virus to multiply. The virus organizes itself into particles, which break out of the cell and infect the host.
Vaccination is the process of using one virus to immunize (endow with the ability to resist infection) against another virus. Vaccines are usually a very mild dose of the disease-causing virus or bacteria, which has been weakened or killed. These vaccines stimulate the creation of antibodies in the body that recognize and attack a particular infection.
The first vaccination was performed by English physician Edward Jenner (1749-1823), who is considered the founder of...
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