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HOW VIRUSES USE DNA AND RNA

pass down to them. This genetic transference occurs when the mother’s egg is fertilized by the father’s sperm. When combining, the egg and the sperm produce one-half of the child’s DNA, with some traits being passed down and others not. Traits that are more likely to be passed are called “dominant,” and those that are less likely are called recessive. For example, brown eyes are a dominant trait and will occur if a child’s unique DNA combination includes genes for brown eyes from their parents. So, if a child has both brown- and blue-eye genes, they will have brown eyes. But if they, instead, get passed two blue-eye genes from brown- eyed parents who have recessive blue-eye genes, they will surprise everyone by having blue eyes. All of these unique possibilities make genetics a very interesting and exciting science to follow. It can also produce some very unexpected results when having a child. The exact combination The study of genetics often goes hand-in-hand with fighting viral diseases, such as COVID-19 or influenza. That’s because a virus is little more than a packet of rogue genetic information that invades a person’s cells, forcing them to reproduce the virus. This act causes the cell to burst, spreading more virus DNA and RNA. The sickness a person experiences when invaded by a virus is not caused by the virus itself but by the body’s attempt to control the spread of it: congestion in the nose and throat is intended to stop the passage of the viral material, while high fevers are the body’s method of destroying the virus.

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Understanding Genetics