# Viruses Can Catch Colds, Says Study That Redefines Life Itself

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 12, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695 "2008-08-12T01:24:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695/1 "2008-08-12T01:24:41Z")

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Story [here](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/08/06/scivirus106.xml). I find it fascinating that viruses can be infected by other viruses.

Excerpt: "Viruses are glorified scraps of genetic code that are exquisitely designed to pirate a host to reproduce: the common cold virus needs cells in the nose and respiratory tract to reproduce, before being spread with a sneeze.

“But the discovery of a giant virus that itself falls ill through infection by another virus seems to suggest they too are alive, highlighting how there is no watertight definition of what exactly scientists mean when they refer to something as ‘living’.”

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**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695/2 "2008-08-12T03:43:51Z")

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Thanks for that story, Sam. What a complex planet this is…

This from the above OP link, too:

> [@](#):
>
> The giant virus was first isolated in amoebae from a cooling tower in Bradford. Since then, genetic studies of ocean waters have indicated that these giant viruses are very important, and may play a crucial role in regulating the population of plankton as well as influence the climate.

I thought this interesting, too; viruses as an important part of the whole chain of life.

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**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695/3 "2008-08-12T03:55:04Z")

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Let me be the first to croon:

_The **CIRCLE** of **LIIIIIFE**. . ._

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**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2008, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-can-catch-colds-says-study-that-redefines-life-itself/459695/4 "2008-08-12T04:40:30Z")

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A Sing-a-Long? Yayyy! Let’s have a bedtime story, too, from [The Big Picture Book of Viruses](http://www.virology.net/Big_Virology/BVHomePage.html)

[here’s one for ya](http://web.uct.ac.za/depts/mmi/stannard/virarch.html):

Once Upon a Time:

> [@](#):
>
> The complex arrangements of macromolecules in the virus shell are minute marvels of molecular architecture. Specific requirements of each type of virus have resulted in a fascinating apparent diversity of organization and geometrical design. Nevertheless, there are certain common features and general principles of architecture that apply to all viruses.

You can hum and read along to the rest of the link…