SBI3U
Video: Understanding Viruses
QUESTIONS:
1. In the video, viruses are called "the tiniest simplest form of life on Earth". What makes viruses
seem like living organisms? What characteristics distinguish them from living organisms?
2. Why weren't viruses "discovered" until the 1930s?
3. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed at least 20 million people worldwide. What are factors that led
to it being such a large epidemic?
4. Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine, a vaccine for small pox. Describe how he developed
the vaccine and what was a bit controversial (and ethically questionable) about his research.
5. When your immune sytem responds to a foreign substance such as a virus, many types of cells
are involved. What do the following 3 types of cells do during the immune response?
-antibodies -white blood cells -memory cells 6. Why are flu strains used to develop the flu vaccine often grown in chicken embryos?
SBI3U
Video: Understanding Viruses
QUESTIONS:
1. In the video, viruses are called "the tiniest simplest form of life on Earth". What makes viruses
seem like living organisms? What characteristics distinguish them from living organisms?
2. Why weren't viruses "discovered" until the 1930s?
3. The 1918 influenza epidemic killed at least 20 million people worldwide. What are factors that led
to it being such a large epidemic?
4. Edward Jenner developed the first vaccine, a vaccine for small pox. Describe how he developed
the vaccine and what was a bit controversial (and ethically questionable) about his research.
5. When your immune sytem responds to a foreign substance such as a virus, many types of cells
are involved. What do the following 3 types of cells do during the immune response?
-antibodies -white blood cells -memory cells 6. Why are flu strains used to develop the flu vaccine often grown in chicken embryos?
7. What is the difficulty with developing vaccines for RNA viruses? Give an example of a common
RNA virus.
8. What was unique about the polio vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk in the late 1940s?
9. In 1967, the World Health Organization decided to eliminate small pox from the world. How did
they manage to accomplish this by 1978?
10. At a research centre in Moscow & the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta samples of
small pox (as well as many other viruses) are kept in freezers. There are contrasting viewpoints on
maintaining such a collection of viruses.
"We didn't want to totally eliminate the virus small pox because we didn't really understand the virus and what made it tick.
It's part of the whole basic fundamental argument about diversity--biological diversity. Can we afford to lose these
organisms that have established themselves in a particular ecological niche?"
"But the greater danger is the possibility of smallpox escaping from a freezer somewhere where there might be a forgotten
stock stored or years from now when people have forgotten about it."
Which do you think is the more compelling argument? Explain your point of view.
11. What are some characteristics of the AIDS virus that make it so difficult to develop a vaccine for?
7. What is the difficulty with developing vaccines for RNA viruses? Give an example of a common
RNA virus.
8. What was unique about the polio vaccine, developed by Jonas Salk in the late 1940s?
9. In 1967, the World Health Organization decided to eliminate small pox from the world. How did
they manage to accomplish this by 1978?
10. At a research centre in Moscow & the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta samples of
small pox (as well as many other viruses) are kept in freezers. There are contrasting viewpoints on
maintaining such a collection of viruses.
"We didn't want to totally eliminate the virus small pox because we didn't really understand the virus and what made it tick.
It's part of the whole basic fundamental argument about diversity--biological diversity. Can we afford to lose these
organisms that have established themselves in a particular ecological niche?"
"But the greater danger is the possibility of smallpox escaping from a freezer somewhere where there might be a forgotten
stock stored or years from now when people have forgotten about it."
Which do you think is the more compelling argument? Explain your point of view.
11. What are some characteristics of the AIDS virus that make it so difficult to develop a vaccine for?