User:Doom Messiah/virus

Right, so this is where I plan and draft shit for the virus article before putting it in main space. Any help is appreciated.

To do Main goal: to get article to at least silver standard
 * Source & expand lytic/lysogenic cycles
 * Expand on symptoms for all of the notable viruses
 * Add and update info on Ebola outbreaks
 * Add section on viruses and evolution
 * Add section on viruses and pseudoscience (e.g. anti-vax, germ denial)
 * Make intro more concise- place info into an overview
 * Put all references in proper format

Rewriting
Original:

In the type of reproduction used by virulent viruses, the the host cell bursts, dispersing the new viruses. Other viruses do not destroy the host cell, but multiply by budding.

Rewrite:

More description of viruses
I'm gonna try to put some of the intro here.

Intro


A virus is an extremely small infectious agent. A virus consists of a protein coating over a strand of RNA or DNA, which replicates itself by taking over a host cell of another life form, implanting its genetic information into it, and causing the cell to produce more viruses. In the type of reproduction used by virulent viruses, the the host cell bursts, dispersing the new viruses. Other viruses do not destroy the host cell, but multiply by budding. With these methods of reproduction, viruses play a part in maintaining genetic diversity through transfer of genetic material between cells.

Viruses cause many infectious diseases, from things as non-threatening as the Common Cold, to being Bio-Safety Level 4 pathogens, such as the Ebola and Marburg viruses.

Like all things related to medicine there is a lot of woo regarding viruses. Most commonly said woo questions whether viruses are linked to certain diseases, how effective vaccines are in preventing virus infection, or even whether viruses can cause infection at all.

Extra shit, etc. (must remember to add more info here to justify this section)
There is a significant amount of debate about whether viruses are living organisms or not. While they do contain genetic material (i.e. the DNA or RNA), and evolve, like any other living organism, they also contain no cell structures (things like a cytoplasm, cell wall, nucleus, et cetera), and cannot reproduce independently. The existence of giant viruses that can be "attacked" in the same way as a cell by smaller viruses, has also increased led to some controversy regarding the definition of life, and whether viruses fit it.

There are also other virus-like infectious agents like viroids, which are just strands of RNA without the protein coating and cause plant diseases, and prions, which are just protein particles and can cause, for example, degenerative disorders of the central nervous system like mad cow disease.

While the ability of viruses to infect cells is generally bad for health, there are some possible interesting applications in science and technology, like using viruses to reduce cancer.