VIRUSES ARE ELEGANT THINGS:
an idea by Fluffy the Cat of everything2.com
Viruses can be surprisingly elegant things. While some, such as CMV, contain as much genetic material as some bacteria, others have the bare minimum to be able to enter a cell and reproduce. It's tempting to think of viruses as incredibly cunning organisms - in fact, it's probably more accurate to think of them as a self-sustaining chemical reaction which happens to involve animal cells. Viruses don't think, yet are capable of defeating a highly evolved immune system and everything modern science can throw at them. I find them both terrifying and strangely attractive. See prions for the logical continuation of simplifying infective bodies, and become somewhat concerned.
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