extreme biology Flashcards
what is a virus?
‘a virus is a piece of bad news wrapped in a protein’ -sir peter medawar (nobel laureate)
a virus is a small parasite that cannot reproduce by itself. Once it infects a susceptible cell, however, a virus can direct the cell machinery to produce more viruses
give some details on the porcone circovirus. (diameter, what it infects, how many nucleotides, antibody size, mRNA length)
> only 17nm diameter
infects pigs
1759 nucleotides ssDNA genome
antibody size: 10-15nm
median length of mRNA is 2787 bases
viroids
> only RNA 250-400 nucleotides
infect plants
no proteins encoded
how big is E.coli?
~500nm wide and 1000-2000nm long
genome 4.6Mb
how many different viruses are there?
9110 species (virus taxonomy; 2020 release)
14690 species (virus taxonomy; 2023 release)
*most viruses are still unknown
estimated 10^31 viruses on Earth (for comparison 10^22-10^24 stars in the universe)
how many viruses genotypes are in human faeces? 200 litres of water? marine sediment? seawater?
~1000 genotypes in human faeces
~5000 genotypes/200L of water
marine sediment sample between 10,000 and 1 million viral genotypes
~10million virus-like particles (VLPs) per ml of seawater
what are VPLs?
virus-like particles
give examples of viruses and the deaths per year and fatality rate they have.
virus vs deaths/year
HIV 1.1 million
Hep C 700K
Hep B 686K
Influenza >250K
Rotavirus 215K
Measles >130K
Hep A 100K
Chikungunya/dengue/yellow fever >50K
virus vs case fatality rate
rabies ~100%
variola major (smallpox) ~95%
ebola ~83-90%
HIV 80-90%
Lujo 80%
Herpes B </= 70%
Influenza A (H5N1) 60%
Marbug 23-90%
how many viruses infect humans?
263 virus species are known to be able to infect humans
how are viruses classified?
Baltimore classification
describe Baltimore classification
I: (dsDNA)
genome structure= mostly linear, genome size=5-2,500 kb,
no genome segmentation
II: (ssDNA)
genome structure=mostly circular,
genome size= 1.7-25 kb,
mostly nonsegmented
III: (dsRNA)
genome structure= linear,
genome size=4-30 kb,
mostly segmented
IV: ((+)RNA)
genome structure=linear,
genome size=3.5-40 kb,
mostly nonsegmented but many segmented
V ((-)RNA) genome structure=mostly linear,
genome size=1.7-20 kb,
roughly half segmented
VI ((+)RNA,RT
genome structure= linear
genome size= 5-13 kb
nonsegmented
VII dsDNA,RT
genome structure=circular
genome size=3-10 kb
nonsegmented
what is RT?
A reverse transcriptase (RT) is an enzyme used to convert RNA genome to DNA, a process termed reverse transcription.
symbiotic viruses
Symbiosis can be obligate, meaning that the relationship is required for the survival of one or both partners, or non-obligate. Viruses are obligate symbionts in that they cannot replicate outside their hosts.
e.g. parasitic wasps
wasp inject egg and polydnavirus virions into host
what is a parasite?
an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense
discuss malaria
Malaria is a life-threatening disease spread to humans by some types of mosquitoes. It is mostly found in tropical countries. It is preventable and curable. The infection is caused by a parasite and does not spread from person to person.
Malaria is caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium
Malaria infection begins when an infected female Anopheles mosquito bites a person, injecting Plasmodium parasites, in the form of sporozoites, into the bloodstream. The sporozoites pass quickly into the human liver. The sporozoites multiply asexually in the liver cells over the next 7 to 10 days, causing no symptoms.
discuss the importance of thermoregulation
allows organs and bodily processes to work effectively
discuss how hot and cold environments effect thermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the body’s process of maintaining its core temperature within a narrow, optimal range, generally around 37°C (98.6°F) in humans. Hot and cold environments place significant stress on thermoregulation, leading the body to adapt using physiological and behavioral mechanisms to maintain a stable internal temperature. Here’s a breakdown of the effects and responses in both types of environments:
Effects of Hot Environments on Thermoregulation
In hot environments, the main threat is hyperthermia, where the body’s internal temperature rises above the safe range. To counteract this, the body activates several cooling mechanisms:
Sweating: The primary cooling mechanism in humans is sweating. As sweat evaporates from the skin’s surface, it cools the body. This process, however, can lead to dehydration if fluids aren’t replaced, impacting the body’s ability to maintain thermoregulation.
Vasodilation: Blood vessels near the skin surface widen, allowing more blood to flow to the skin where heat can be lost to the environment. This radiative heat loss lowers core temperature but may cause drops in blood pressure if prolonged, sometimes leading to heat-related issues like dizziness or fainting.
Behavioral Changes: People tend to seek shade, drink cool water, wear light clothing, and reduce activity levels to avoid overheating. Behavioral adjustments are a crucial part of thermoregulation in extreme heat.
Risks of Prolonged Heat Exposure: Prolonged exposure to high temperatures without adequate cooling can overwhelm the body’s thermoregulatory system, leading to heat exhaustion, heat cramps, or potentially fatal heatstroke. Heatstroke occurs when body temperature exceeds 40°C (104°F) and the body can no longer cool itself effectively.
Effects of Cold Environments on Thermoregulation
In cold environments, the primary concern is hypothermia, where the body’s core temperature drops below the safe range. The body’s thermoregulatory mechanisms shift to conserve heat and generate warmth:
Shivering: Muscles contract rapidly to generate heat through movement. Shivering is effective for short-term heat production but can be energetically costly and tiring, limiting its long-term effectiveness.
Vasoconstriction: Blood vessels near the skin constrict, reducing blood flow to the skin and extremities to minimize heat loss. This helps retain heat in the body’s core, but it can cause frostbite in extremities like fingers, toes, and ears if temperatures are very low.
Non-shivering Thermogenesis: In prolonged cold exposure, the body can generate heat by metabolizing brown adipose tissue, a type of fat specialized for heat production. This mechanism is especially prevalent in infants, though adults retain some capacity.
Behavioral Adjustments: People instinctively bundle up in layers, seek shelter, or huddle together to conserve warmth. This behavior supports the body’s physiological responses by adding insulation and reducing exposure to cold air.
Risks of Prolonged Cold Exposure: If the body’s heat loss continues to outpace heat production, hypothermia can set in. Mild hypothermia causes symptoms like shivering and mental confusion, while severe hypothermia can be life-threatening, impairing heart and brain function.
Summary
Both hot and cold environments challenge thermoregulation through stress on the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis. The body relies on physiological adaptations like sweating, shivering, vasodilation, and vasoconstriction, alongside behavioral responses to counterbalance the extreme temperatures. However, the effectiveness of these mechanisms has limits; prolonged or extreme exposures can overwhelm them, posing serious health risks such as heatstroke or hypothermia. Proper hydration, insulation, and environmental control are essential to assist thermoregulation in these conditions
discuss the challenges of excersising in hot and cold environments
Exercising in extreme temperatures stresses the body’s thermoregulation system, impacting performance and safety.
In Hot Environments:
Dehydration: Sweating increases to cool the body, but fluid loss risks dehydration, impairing endurance and raising the risk of heat illness.
Heatstroke Risk: High temperatures can lead to overheating if the body can’t cool down quickly enough, causing heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Reduced Performance: Increased heart rate and energy use for cooling leave less energy for exercise, reducing performance and stamina.
In Cold Environments:
Heat Loss: Cold air pulls heat from the body, risking hypothermia. Blood flow to muscles is reduced, which may decrease strength and flexibility.
Muscle Stiffness: Cold causes muscles to stiffen, increasing the risk of injury and limiting performance.
Reduced Coordination: Numbness in extremities from the cold can impact coordination, further increasing injury risk.
discuss strategies to cope with exercising in the heat and cold
Strategies for Exercising in the Heat:
Hydrate Regularly: Drink water before, during, and after exercise to prevent dehydration.
Time Your Workouts: Exercise during cooler parts of the day, like early morning or evening.
Dress Lightly: Wear breathable, moisture-wicking clothing to stay cool.
Acclimate Gradually: Slowly increase exercise intensity in the heat to help the body adapt.
Strategies for Exercising in the Cold:
Layer Up: Use layers that can be removed as you warm up; wear moisture-wicking inner layers to stay dry.
Warm Up Thoroughly: Take extra time to warm up to prevent stiff muscles and reduce injury risk.
Stay Hydrated: Cold air can still cause dehydration, so drink water regularly.
Cover Extremities: Wear gloves, hats, and insulated socks to protect from frostbite.
what range of temperature can a human tolerate?
a protected human can tolerate environmental temperatures ranging from ~50 - 100 degrees Celsius; goal is to maintain core temperature
thermal comfort:
- core temperature between 36.6 and 37.1 degrees celcius
- skin temperature between 32 and 35.5 degrees celcius
what factors contribute to heat gain and heat loss?
(maintaining heat balance)
heat gain; BMR, muscular activity, hormones, dietary-induced thermogenesis, postural changes, environment
heat loss; radiation, conduction, convection, evaporation
what factors contribute to heat loss of the body?
radiation
conduction
convection
evaporation
what drop and rise of core body temperature can a person tolerate?
person can tolerate (just) a drop of 10 degrees celcius in CORE body temperature, but only a 5 degrees celcius rise
how do you measure deep core temperature?
oral temperature averages ~0.56 degrees Celcius less than core temperature
- oral measures does not reflect deep core temp