Summary of Dorothy H. Crawford's Viruses

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Dorothy H. Crawford's Viruses in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: Viruses are big news. From pandemics such as HIV, to swine flu, and SARS, we are constantly being bombarded with information about new lethal infections. In this Very Short Introduction Dorothy Crawford demonstrates how clever these entities really are. From their discovery and the unravelling of their intricate structures, Crawford demonstrates how these tiny parasites are by far the most abundant life forms on the planet. With up to two billion of them in

each litre of sea water, viruses play a vital role in controlling the marine environment, and are essential to the ocean's delicate ecosystem.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Nov 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781638157564

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Dorothy H. Crawford's Viruses

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Viruses are very different from all other organisms, including bacteria. They are small particles that cannot do anything on their own; they must invade living cells and take control.

#2

Viruses are incredibly tiny, and can only be seen with an electron microscope. They consist of an outer protein shell called a capsid, which protects a valuable cargo: the virus’s genetic material.

#3

Viruses are microscopic, invisible parasites that can only reproduce inside living cells. They are the cause of many common illnesses, and their ability to change and adapt makes them extremely difficult to treat.

#4

Viruses have the ability to enter a cell’s nucleus and alter the DNA of the cell’s machinery, which can lead to the cell becoming cancerous.

#5

The story of the tulip is a great example of how humans can be so easily fooled.

#6

From the time of Hippocrates until the beginning of the nineteenth century, diseases were