The structure of the influenza virus that causes flu in pigs shows the assortment of protein spikes present on the capsid, the RNA segments, and different types of proteins inside.
Public domain: This applies worldwide/ Wikimedia/ Eigene Herstellung, source/ M. Eickmann, author/ 2005
This diagram illustrates the reassortment of genetic material that enables a flu strain to jump from one animal species to another, including humans. This is called “antigenic shift.”
Public domain/ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/ Links Studio, Illustrator/ 2011
Dr. James Van Etten checks algae samples in his lab at the Ken Morrison Life Sciences Research Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. These algae were attacked by a virus.
Permission granted for educational use/ University of Nebraska-Lincoln/ Craig Chandler, photographer/ 2009
World of Viruses
Marine viruses, shown in purple, surround bacteria.
Permission granted for educational use/ Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences/ Willie Wilson/ 1998
This satellite image shows an algal (Emiliania huxleyi) bloom in the English Channel. The Emiliania huxleyi virus (EhV) infects algae. Water samples taken from the bloom contained up to 1 million EhV per milliliter.
Permission granted for educational use/ UK NERC Earth Observation Data Acquisition and Analysis Service/ Steve Groom/ 1999
This electron micrograph of the algae, Emiliania huxleyi, shows the size comparison with the much smaller Emiliania huxleyi virus (EhV) at the lower left corner.
Permission granted for educational use/ The Natural History Museum, London (Dr. Jeremy Young) and University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Angie Fox) / 2009
This view of Emiliania huxleyi virus (EhV) shows a portion of the virion’s protein coat, or capsid, cut away, revealing its inner DNA and proteins.
Permission granted for educational use/ University of Nebraska-Lincoln/ Angie Fox, illustrator/ 2010
Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. They are also called bacteriophages.
Permission granted for educational use/ Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences/ Willie Wilson/ 1998
Emiliania huxleyi viruses (EhV) infect algae living in the ocean.
Permission granted for educational use/ University of Nebraska-Lincoln/ Angie Fox, illustrator/ 2009
© 2009 video stock: science view. Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands. As the leader of the World Pandemic Control, your mission is to prevent a pandemic. You can implement a variety of strategies to try to save the world, including assigning research teams, closing schools and markets, finding a vaccine, and distributing antiviral medicine–and you also have a limited budget to work with.
