How the Novel Coronavirus Infects a Cell: Science, Simplified

Summary

The novel coronavirus is highly effective at infecting cells, particularly in the respiratory tract. It enters through the nose or mouth, binding to ACE-2 receptors in our airways. This triggers fusion with human cells, allowing the virus to inject its RNA. The host cell machinery is hijacked to produce new viral particles, which are then released to infect nearby cells and people. Each infected cell can release millions of virus particles, spreading the infection through droplets when we cough or sneeze.

Takeaways

• 🦠 The novel coronavirus is highly effective at infecting new cells, especially in both the upper respiratory tract and deeper in the lungs.
• 👃 The virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and begins its infection in the airways.
• 🔗 The virus uses its outer spike protein to attach to specific receptors on the surface of respiratory tract cells.
• ⚙️ In the case of COVID-19, the virus binds to the ACE-2 receptor to initiate the infection process.
• 🧬 This binding causes the virus to fuse with human cells, merging its viral envelope with the cell membrane.
• 📜 The virus releases its RNA genetic material into the host cell, which serves as a template for replication.
• 💻 The host cell's machinery reads the viral RNA and translates it into proteins that create new virus particles.
• 🔄 The infected cell produces millions of copies of the virus, assembling them into viable particles for release.
• 🌬️ These virus copies are released from the cell and can go on to infect neighboring cells and people.
• 🤧 The virus spreads through droplets expelled from the airways during coughing or sneezing, facilitating further transmission.

Q & A

What makes the novel coronavirus particularly effective at infecting cells?

The novel coronavirus is particularly effective at infecting cells due to its unique features, such as its ability to infect both the upper respiratory tract and deeper parts of the lungs.

How does the novel coronavirus enter the human body?

The novel coronavirus enters the human body through the nose or mouth, where it begins infecting the respiratory tract.

What role does the spike protein of the coronavirus play in infection?

The spike protein of the coronavirus latches onto specific receptors on the surface of cells in the respiratory tract, initiating the infection process.

Which receptor does the coronavirus bind to during infection?

In the case of COVID-19, the virus binds to the ACE-2 receptor found on the surface of cells in the respiratory tract.

What happens after the virus binds to the ACE-2 receptor?

After binding to the ACE-2 receptor, the virus fuses into the human cell, allowing the viral envelope to merge with the cell membrane and release its genetic material inside.

What is the genetic blueprint of the novel coronavirus, and how does it function?

The genetic blueprint of the novel coronavirus is RNA. It acts as a molecular message that instructs the host cell's machinery to produce proteins that will create new virus particles.

How does the virus replicate inside human cells?

The virus hijacks the host cell's machinery, which produces copies of the virus, assembles them into viable particles, and then releases them to infect other cells.

How many copies of the virus can an infected cell produce?

An infected cell can produce and release millions of copies of the virus.

How does the virus spread from one person to another?

The virus spreads from one person to another when droplets containing the virus are expelled from the airways during coughing or sneezing and are inhaled by others.

Why is the coronavirus infection of both the upper respiratory tract and the lungs significant?

Infecting both the upper respiratory tract and the lungs allows the virus to spread more effectively within the body and increases the severity of respiratory symptoms in infected individuals.