Inherent Viral Purpose

[labelwench]

Interesting postings by both of you, and I follow this thread, as both my mother and I are interested in health related matters and how the medical profession fits into our lives, for better or worse.

In dealing with physical trauma and injury, and heart by-pass, the profession has done much to save and enhance lives. When dealing with the world of microbiology, perhaps there has been less success. Too little knowledge and too much politics, as has been pointed out earlier in this thread.

From my own work with doctors of veterinary medicine, and from personal observation of practice by medical staff, I would like to offer the following remarks.

Our skin is the largest organ of our body. Most people do not realize that the skin is an organ. On our skin, and in the environment, live countless microbes, virus and bacteria, in a relationship that both enables and sustains life, and reclaims and recycles our biology at the appropriate time.

Whenever our skin is broken, we have a potential to become infected or ill, which is why even very minor cuts should be cleaned and covered. When we breach the skin intentionally, as with a needle for vaccination, we are supposed to be very meticulous in preparing the site of the injection, and the materials used for same injection.

A quick dab of disinfectant does not sterilize the site. It requires an exposure time of closer to 1-2 minutes, depending on the agent being used. Every surface, including the air we breath, is inhabited by some form of microbe, so what use do you suppose the latex gloves etc perform, after brief exposure? As the needle breaks through our skin, we inject any and all 'germs' which may be on our skin, and the needle, as it is transfered from it's presumed sterile wrapping, filled with vaccine, and then poked into us. (An interesting comment: In my years of showing horses and giving my own vaccinations for a number of presumed preventable illness, I had far fewer 'localized reactions' at the site of injection, than did the horses that my friends had vaccinated by 'the professionals'. I attribute that to more care given to the site of injection, and extreme care in handling the syringes and needles.)

We require a far broader understanding of the world of microbiology, in my opinion, before we dabble with these agents in isolation, for all is connected to the conditions that enable life itself. Even with E.Coli bacteria, the majority of forms of this bacteria perform useful functions in our intestinal system, yet we now are fearful of all forms, and wage a war that may prove to be counter-productive over time.

[AntonioLao]

Whenever our skin is broken

My idea suggests that for the skin to be truly impregnable it must be made of lower dimensional fiber than the infectious microbes.

[labelwench]

My idea suggests that for the skin to be truly impregnable it must be made of lower dimensional fiber than the infectious microbes.

A truly impregnable skin, would, in effect, isolate us from the very environment that supports our existence, is the thought that comes to my mind.

Would such prolong our existence, or hasten our demise as a species, is the question which follows on the heels of my first thought?

[AntonioLao]

Similar to the Russian dolls, every flea has a smaller flea to impregnate its skin, ad infinitum.
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS361US361 &q=russian+dolls&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=w4FDS7nWDoy0tgfJ_NWFDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_g roup&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQsAQwAA

[labelwench]

Similar to the Russian dolls, every flea has a smaller flea to impregnate its skin, ad infinitum.
http://images.google.com/images?sourceid=navclient&rlz=1T4GGIH_enUS361US361 &q=russian+dolls&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=w4FDS7nWDoy0tgfJ_NWFDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_g roup&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQsAQwAA

And humans are but fleas on the planet Earth, which is but a mote of dust, when viewed from a distance in space. Yes, it is helpful to keep things in perspective, and to scale, even if we cannot comprehend the true measure of such scale....

[timeparticle]

My idea suggests that for the skin to be truly impregnable it must be made of lower dimensional fiber than the infectious microbes.

The idea of a virus, a part of life that some consider not living, is able to enhance and upgrade our own bodies functions through their DNA and RNA promotes the perspective that we live in an open ecosystem and anything closed to it and impregnable will not be upgraded and enhanced, so left to get sick and eventually die.

[AntonioLao]

My question is what is it that can impregnate the skin of the tiniest virus?

[leskey]

My question is what is it that can impregnate the skin of the tiniest virus?

Viruses themselves are inert, yet can reproduce. Wouldn't the process of reproduction require the animating factor of energy? So, energy in some form must impregnate viruses.

[AntonioLao]

energy in some form must impregnate viruses

Thanks. But viruses also need the energy as food. My question really is what can kill viruses without harming the surrounding host cell? This virus killer must be smaller in size in order to enter the virus and destroy it from inside out.

[leskey]

Thanks. But viruses also need the energy as food. My question really is what can kill viruses without harming the surrounding host cell? This virus killer must be smaller in size in order to enter the virus and destroy it from inside out.

This is my last attempt, Antonio...would a solvent penetrate a virus?