Ama-virus ayizinto ezithelelanayo ezincane kakhulu ezingazalana kuphela ngaphakathi kwamaseli ezinto eziphilayo. Ama-virus aqashelwa njengengxenye ebalulekile yesimiso semvelo soMhlaba, enezindima ezahlukahlukene, kusukela ezintweni ezibangela izifo kuya kumathuluzi ocwaningo lwesayensi kanye ne-biotechnology.
Incazelo kanye nezici zama-virus
Ngokwesakhiwo, amagciwane aqukethe i-nucleic acid (i-DNA noma i-RNA) ezungezwe yi-protein coat ebizwa ngokuthi i-capsid. Amanye amagciwane anesendlalelo esengeziwe esibizwa ngokuthi i-envelope, esenziwe ngama-lipid namaprotheni. Amagciwane awanazo i-organelles noma ezinye izakhiwo zamaseli ezidingekayo ukuze kusebenze umzimba futhi kukhiqizwe kabusha. Esikhundleni salokho, athembele kumaseli aphethe lezi zinqubo.
Ama-virus mancane kakhulu, asukela kuma-nanometer angu-20 kuya kwangu-300, okwenza abe mancane kunamabhaktheriya namanye amaseli amaningi. Ubuncane bawo buwavumela ukuthi angene emaseli abanjwe ngezindlela ezahlukahlukene.
Ukuhlukaniswa Kwamagciwane
Ama-virus ahlukaniswa ngokusekelwe ezindinganisweni ezahlukene, okuhlanganisa uhlobo lwe-nucleic acid aqukethe (i-DNA noma i-RNA), ukuma nosayizi we-capsid yawo, ukuba khona noma ukungabikho kwe-envelope, kanye nesu lawo lokuphindaphinda. Lokhu kuhlukaniswa kusiza ososayensi ukuhlonza nokutadisha ama-virus futhi bathuthukise izindlela zokulawula ukutheleleka abakubangelayo.
Indima Yamagciwane Ezifweni
Enye yendima eyaziwa kakhulu yamagciwane ukuthi ibangela izifo. Amagciwane angatheleleka ezintweni eziphilayo ezahlukahlukene, okuhlanganisa abantu, izilwane, izitshalo, ngisho namabhaktheriya (abizwa ngokuthi ama-bacteriophages). Ezinye izifo ezibangelwa amagciwane zifaka phakathi umkhuhlane, i-HIV/AIDS, i-hepatitis, umkhuhlane we-dengue, kanye ne-COVID-19.
Uma amagciwane ehlasela amangqamuzana omuntu ohlala kuwo, asebenzisa imishini yeselula yomuntu ohlala kuwo ukuze aziphindaphinde. Le nqubo ivame ukulimaza noma ukubulala amangqamuzana omuntu ohlala kuwo, okungaholela ezimpawini zesifo. Isibonelo, igciwane lomkhuhlane lihlasela amangqamuzana asemgudwini wokuphefumula, okubangela izimpawu ezifana nomkhuhlane, ukukhwehlela, nomphimbo obuhlungu. I-HIV ihlasela amasosha omzimba, ishiye abantu abagulayo besengozini yokutheleleka nezinye izifo.
Amagciwane Ezindaweni Eziphilayo Nasekuziphendukeleni Kwemvelo
Ngaphandle kwendima yawo njengezifo, amagciwane nawo adlala indima ebalulekile emvelweni nasekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo. Amagciwane angathonya inani labantu kanye nomphakathi wezinto eziphilayo futhi anikele ekudlulisweni kwezakhi zofuzo phakathi kwezinhlobo.
Ezindaweni zemvelo, amagciwane avame ukulawula inani lamagciwane ngokusebenzisa izifo ezibangelwa yi-lytic, lapho iseli eliphethe libhujiswa khona ngemva kokuba igciwane liphindaphindeka. Lokhu kungasiza ekugcineni ibhalansi lamagciwane futhi kuvimbele ukubuswa kwezinhlobo ezithile.
Amagciwane adlala indima ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo ngokudluliselwa kwezakhi zofuzo okuvundlile, inqubo lapho izakhi zofuzo zidluliselwa khona zisuka kwesinye isilwane ziye kwesinye ngaphandle kokuzala ngokocansi. Amagciwane angathwala izakhi zofuzo zisuka kwesinye isilwane ziye kwesinye, okungaholela ekushintsheni kwezakhi zofuzo kanye nokuvela kwezinhlobo ezintsha. Lesi simo sibonakala kumabhaktheriya, lapho ama-bacteriophages engadlulisela khona izakhi zofuzo ezifaka ukumelana nama-antibiotic phakathi kwamabhaktheriya, okusheshisa ukuvela kokumelana nama-antibiotic.
Izinzuzo Zamagciwane Kwezesayensi Nobuchwepheshe
Ngaphandle kwendima yawo ezintweni eziphilayo kanye nokuziphendukela kwemvelo, amagciwane nawo anezinzuzo ezibalulekile kwezesayensi kanye nobuchwepheshe. Ocwaningweni lwezokwelapha, amagciwane asetshenziswa njengamathuluzi okutadisha ukusebenza kwezakhi zofuzo kanye nezindlela zezifo. Isibonelo, ama-retrovirus anjenge-HIV asetshenziswe ukuqonda ukulawulwa kwezakhi zofuzo kanye nomjikelezo weseli.
Amagciwane adlala indima ebalulekile kubuchwepheshe be-bio, ikakhulukazi ekwelashweni kwezakhi zofuzo kanye nokukhiqizwa kwemithi yokugomela. Ukwelashwa kwezakhi zofuzo kuhilela ukusebenzisa amagciwane aguquliwe ukuletha izakhi zofuzo emaseli esiguli. Amagciwane angaklanywa ukuze asuse izakhi zofuzo ezibangela izifo zofuzo noma angenise izakhi zofuzo ezisiza ekulweni nazo. Isibonelo, ukwelashwa kwezakhi zofuzo kusebenzisa amagciwane ahlobene ne-adeno (ama-AAV) ukwelapha izifo zofuzo ezifana ne-Duchenne muscular dystrophy kanye ne-hemophilia.
Ekukhiqizweni kwemithi yokugoma, amagciwane avame ukusetshenziswa njengezibonelo zokuthuthukisa imithi yokugoma. Eminye imithi yokugoma ephumelela kakhulu, njengomjovo we-polio kanye nomujovo we-hepatitis B, yathuthukiswa kusetshenziswa amagciwane abuthakathaka noma angasebenzi. Le mithi yokugoma ivuselela amasosha omzimba ukuba akhiqize impendulo yomzimba ngaphandle kokubangela izifo.
Intuthuko Yamuva Ku-Virology
Isayensi ye-virology iyaqhubeka nokuthuthuka kanye nentuthuko kwezobuchwepheshe kanye nolwazi lwesayensi. Enye intuthuko yakamuva ukusetshenziswa kobuchwepheshe be-CRISPR-Cas9 ukuguqula izakhi zofuzo zamagciwane namaseli abambe iqhaza. Lobu buchwepheshe buvumela ososayensi ukuthi banqume futhi bathathe indawo yezingxenye ezithile ze-DNA, bavule amathuba amasha okwelashwa kwezakhi zofuzo kanye nocwaningo lwezifo.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, ubhubhane lwe-COVID-19 lukhuthaze ucwaningo olunzulu mayelana nokuthuthukiswa kwemithi yokugoma kanye nokwelashwa ngama-antiviral. Imithi yokugoma ye-mRNA, njengaleyo eyenziwe yi-Pfizer-BioNTech kanye ne-Moderna, iyintuthuko enkulu esebenzisa ubuchwepheshe bezakhi zofuzo ukukhiqiza impendulo eqinile nephumelelayo yomzimba. Lolu cwaningo luthuthukise nokuqonda kwethu amandla egciwane kanye nokusebenzisana kwalo nesistimu yomzimba.
Izinselele Ekulawuleni Amagciwane
Naphezu kwentuthuko enkulu, ukulawula igciwane kusalokhu kuyinselele enkulu. Inselele enkulu ukuvela okusheshayo kwegciwane, okungakhiqiza izinhlobo ezintsha ezithelelanayo noma ezingamelani nemijovo kanye nokwelashwa. Lokhu kuguquka kungenzeka ngokungahleliwe ngesikhathi sokuphindaphindana kwegciwane futhi kungathandwa ngokucindezela okukhethiwe, njengokusetshenziswa kwemithi yokulwa namagciwane noma ukugoma ngobuningi.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, amagciwane angatheleleka ngezinhlobo eziningi, njengegciwane lomkhuhlane kanye nama-coronavirus, abeka izingozi ezinkulu empilweni yabantu neyezilwane. Ukudluliselwa kwamagciwane phakathi kwezinhlobo (i-zoonosis) kungaholela ekuqubukeni kwezifo ezintsha, njengoba kubonakala kubhubhane lwe-COVID-19, oluvela egciwaneni le-SARS-CoV-2.
Ukubhekana nalezi zinselele kudinga indlela ehlukahlukene ehilela ososayensi, abasebenzi bezempilo, ohulumeni kanye nomphakathi. Le ndlela ihlanganisa ukuqapha izifo, ukuthuthukiswa kwemithi yokugoma emisha kanye nokwelashwa, kanye nokusetshenziswa kwezinqubomgomo zempilo yomphakathi ezisebenzayo.
Isiphetho
Ama-virus ayizinto ezithathelwanayo ezidlala indima ehlukahlukene ezindaweni zemvelo kanye nesayensi. Nakuba aziwa kabanzi njengezimbangela zezifo, ama-virus nawo anegalelo ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo futhi anezicelo ezibalulekile ocwaningweni kanye nase-biotechnology. Intuthuko kwe-virology kanye nobuchwepheshe inikeza ithemba elisha ekulawuleni nasekusebenziseni ama-virus ukuze kuzuze isintu. Kodwa-ke, izinselele zokulawula ama-virus zidinga ukubambisana komhlaba wonke kanye nezindlela ezintsha zokuvikela impilo yabantu kanye nemvelo.
