Since 2020, the world has been stuck in stand still of course due tot he rise of COVID-19. As a result we have all been stuck at home, avoiding as many strangers as we can. This pandemic has increased the amount of interest the average person has in viruses. As a biology student, many of my friends and family love to ask me questions about biological topics, many of which I can answer well but I’m still a student and sometimes I don’t have the best answer to give. One of these questions I have gotten at least a couple times is whether or not viruses are alive. While I freely talk about how viruses evolve and adapt, I have to think twice about whether or not viruses are alive. My gut answer would be to say “No, viruses aren’t a live of course” based on the fact that viruses are never mentioned in my biology courses about evolution and genetics, however I always have this feeling in the back of my mind that this may not be the case, or at least, it is not that simple. I want to take this blog post as an opportunity to address this question, however the answer isn’t that simple, but I’ll try to lay it out as simple as a I can.

Let me first go into viruses evolving. Viruses evolve in similar ways to the way living organisms do. Viruses have genomes consisting of DNA and RNA. The DNA and RNA are the basis for evolution in living organisms, and as a result, viruses as well. DNA and RNA are subject to changes to their nucleotide bases, and genetic recombination. Viruses replicate at a very fast rate, so their evolution cycle is incredibly fast compared to most, which is why we are continuing to get new variants of COVID-19 so quickly, just about every time we start to feel a bit comfortable again. However if viruses evolve like living things, why are they not always classified as living?

In general, cells are considered the most basic forms of life. Living organisms can be unicellular or multicellular, but regardless they rely on cells for the basis of their life. All bodily functions are driven by cells, organs are built up from tissues of cells, and DNA and RNA are found and replicated within the cells. Viruses contain genetic material, however they do not have cells. The genetic material of viruses stay within a protein coating, however that is it, they have no cells, however they do rely on infecting cells to survive. Viruses infect cells, and replicate themselves to spread. When the cell the viruses infect divides, so to do the viruses, and so they spread even further.

So are viruses alive? Well they evolve like living organisms and carry genetic material like living organisms, but lack cells that would more easily classify them as living. So what are they? Really this question can only be answered if we were to have a definitive answer on what is life. If we decide that for something to live, they need cells, than simply put, viruses are not alive, simple as that. However the fact that the question always pops up makes viruses a very interesting case in the world, as they are generally thought of as not living, but show a case of an entity that acts like that of a living organism, but is not one. I’m no scientist so it isn’t my place to give a definitive answer, but if I were to pick a side, I side with most scientists and say “No Cells? No Life”. That being said, this makes viruses almost even more interesting than that of living organisms, because what exactly are they? I suppose they could simply be replicators and nothing more. Does it really matter if viruses are alive though? Simply put, viruses exist and will continue to terrorize the lives of those who are alive.

1. Koonin, & Starokadomskyy, P. (2016). Are viruses alive? The replicator paradigm sheds decisive light on an old but misguided question. Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Part C, Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 59, 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2016.02.016
2. Pearson. (2008). “Virophage” suggests viruses are alive. Nature (London), 454(7205), 677–677. https://doi.org/10.1038/454677a
   

For the past few years, we have and still is, experiencing a pandemic that is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Understanding viruses can be daunting but in these times, it’s better to have an understanding of how viruses work than not know anything.

Viruses are biological entities that are considered to be neither inanimate nor living matter. They have RNA or DNA-base genomes with single and double-stranded nucleic acids but do not have working translation systems that are needed for protein synthesis, ribosomes, and their own metabolism. They require a host to replicated and spread as virions. In simple terms, viruses are microscopic parasites that need a host body to thrive and reproduce which causes a widespread of diseases. They’re believed to have played an important role in the evolution of cellular organisms and aren’t considered alive because they lack the ability to self-replicate and their extracellular virions are in a dormant state. However, many scientists have said that the status of whether viruses are alive or not is based on your definition of life.

During the replication process of viruses in the host body, they can evolve if a mutation occurs during that process. Many theories have been proposed that explains the origins of viruses, one is that they predated cells and contributed to the rise of cellular life, the second is that they are reduced forms of parasitic organisms while a third theory is that they were once part of the genetic material of host cells but escaped the cell control and evolved by stealing genes through horizontal gene transfer.

I’ve only covered a very small portion on viruses because this topic is complex to understand. Since it’s hard for even a biology student to understand, telling the public about it would cause even more confusion, thus it’s better to only provide the general public background knowledge on what viruses are, how they function along with how they evolve. The public only really needs to know the simplified important information because not everyone is a scientist or has the background knowledge scientists were taught. In conclusion, we do not know if viruses are inanimate or alive, it is based on what your definition of life is.

References:

Forterre P. (2010). Defining life: the virus viewpoint. Origins of life and evolution of the biosphere : the journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, 40(2), 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11084-010-9194-1

Koonin, E. V., & Starokadomskyy, P. (2016). Are viruses alive? The replicator paradigm sheds decisive light on an old but misguided question. Studies in history and philosophy of biological and biomedical sciences, 59, 125–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2016.02.016

Nasir, A., Kim, K. M., & Caetano-Anollés, G. (2012). Viral evolution: Primordial cellular origins and late adaptation to parasitism. Mobile genetic elements, 2(5), 247–252. https://doi.org/10.4161/mge.22797

The Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria Araucana), also known as Chile pine, is an evergreen conifer tree that is native to the Andes Mountains of South America. It was declared a natural monument in Chile in 1976 to protect it from logging because of its endangered status. The name, Monkey Puzzle tree, was given because of the fact that monkeys are unable to climb it due to the trees’ appearance. Its appearance consists of spiral arrangements of rigid needle-pointed leaves along its branches that are attached to the trunk, creating a sort of puzzle-like appearance for monkeys.

The article, Large-scale impacts of multiple co-occurring invaders on monkey puzzle forest regeneration, native seed predators and their ecological interactions, explains the combined and multi-faceted impacts of several exotic mammals on the monkey puzzle trees’ ecosystem. The article mentioned that the tree species have a small distribution range, and its endangered status is due to several threats, such as deforestation through logging for plantation of exotic tree species and human-made fires which caused a 40% reduction and fragmentation of its range. Another key fact that may have played a role in the lack of regeneration of the species, is seed harvesting done by animals.

The seeds are traditionally consumed by indigenous Mapuche people and a small community of native seed predators. Their main predator is the Austral parakeet because they remove matured seeds directly from female cones over several months whereas native mice species eat the seeds that have fallen onto the ground. The authors observed 516 female trees that are located across the species’ distribution and identified the signals of native and exotic species that visited each tree. Along with that, they also studied the diet and foraging behavior of Austral parakeets to figure out their potential indirect effect of exotic mammals through disruption of key ecosystem service (seed dispersal) by the parakeets.

Their results showed that Austral parakeets and mice predated seeds from 85% and at least 45% of the trees, respectively, with both the number of remaining seeds and seedlings being larger when only parakeets or mice fed on the seeds compared to exotic mammals that visited. At least 90% of the trees were visited by one or more exotic species and the number of seeds and seedlings decreased drastically if about two or four exotic species visited. They mention that the increase of exotic mammals may reduce the populations of native seed-predators in the long-term along with the regeneration of the monkey puzzle forests, directly through a reduction of seed availability and seedling survival and directly through the disruption of dispersal processes. They concluded from the results that strategies based on protection of the areas where the tree species are, may help in the survival of individuals but the forest regeneration and community of native seed-predators and related ecological processes further depend on how humans manage the exotic mammal invasions.

Article Reference:

Tella, J. L., Lambertucci, S. A., Speziale, K. L., & Hiraldo, F. (2016). Large-scale impacts of multiple co-occurring invaders on monkey puzzle forest regeneration, native seed predators and their ecological interactions. Global Ecology and Conservation, 6, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2016.01.001

1. COVID-19 can seriously affect

a. young children

b. older people

c. sick people

d. unvaccinated

e. all of the above

2. COVID-19 is a 

a. new virus

b. a seasonal cold

c. a virus from years ago that has come back

d. none of the above

3. The best way to stop the spread of the virus is to

a. get vaccinated

b. wear a mask

c. avoid large indoor gatherings

d. all of the above

4. A mask that provides protection from COVID-19 should have

a. one thick layer

b. air holes to breathe

c. three layers, waterproof material, tight fitting

d. 100% cotton

5. Symptoms of COVID-19 do not include

a. cough and fever

b. extreme tiredness

c. muscle aches and pains

d. blurred vision

e. runny nose & sore throat

Disney-Pixar’s 2008, Wall-E, is an animated family-friendly film that depicts a dystopian future caused by the loss of plant biodiversity and sustainability. The movie takes place 700 years into the future where humanity has left the barren and deserted Earth that was caused by all the waste left behind. The main character, Wall-E, is a robot that was left on Earth to clean up all the garbage that was left behind. As he spends his time cleaning up garbage piles, he eventually comes across a single plant which he puts in an old shoe to nurture throughout the film. He introduces the plant to another robot that was sent to Earth after him, Eve, and together they both teach humans the importance of plants and how to heal Earth.

Biodiversity is extremely important to life on Earth because of the amount of oxygen they create along with providing food sources and medicines. Without plants, humans wouldn’t have any food to eat because all animals either directly or indirectly need plants to survive (e.g., carnivores eat herbivores who eat plants). The loss of plant biodiversity is caused by habitat loss along with pollution which teaches the audience that even a little pollution can eventually lead to a large impact on Earth.

Overall, while the topic of the potential extinction of Earth is a dark and heavy topic to understand, the film delivers the message of ecology problems in a fun and simple way for all audiences to understand. This movie is definitely a film I highly recommend, whether it’s just to simply cure boredom, you end up learning things you might not have known before along the way.

Throughout three years of my university life, I knew that York provides us services for free as students, but I was ignorant that one of their services was free access to movies. I have always thought the types of services offered were strictly school-related such as helping students improve their writing or borrowing laptops to do assignments. I was first virtually introduced to the Sound and Image Library by my professor in BIOL 4095, I was surprised and then skeptical at this discovery. Skeptical when I was told it allows us free access to movies because I assumed that it was only educational movies.

I went to check out the Sound and Image Library website right after class ended and how wrong my assumption was, not only were educational films listed on there but other kinds of non-school-related films as well! While I was searching for a film to nominate for the film festival, one film, in particular, caught my eye, “The Whale and the Raven”. As someone with a love for animals and wanting to pursue the animal route of biology, I’m always on the lookout for any animal documentaries to expand my knowledge and the description definitely did. This film demonstrates the effects of the gas industry on oceanic animals which can be related back to the effect of climate change and global warming because many large industries that only care about money have large impacts on Earth. With how important biodiversity is, the loss of species will have a large impact and this film gives the audience a perspective on what will/is happening. The ocean is a vast area with many undiscovered species in the deep sea, learning anything about aquatic animals is a privilege.

1. How can individuals effectively prevent the spread of covid-19 and protect themselves against the virus?

a) Clean your hands with soap and water and apply hand sanitizer especially after coughing or sneezing

b) wear a N95 or KN95 mask in public settings while socially distancing from others

c) avoid crowded spaces indoors and outdoors and avoid touching face after touching contaminated surfaces

d) all of the above

e) Only a) and b)

2. What are some common symptoms of SARsCOV-2?

a) cough, fever over 38 degrees Celsius, muscle pain, shortness of breath, chest pain.

b) feeling hungry, dry red eyes, slow speech and movements, poor coordination.

c) itchy nose and eyes, hives, swollen lips, swollen tongue.

d) none of the above.

3. Where do you look for accurate and updated information regarding Covid-19?

a) social media such as Facebook, reddit, twitter, Tiktok and Instagram

b) news outlets such as CNN, Fox, Global News, the Telegraph

c) World Health Organization, Centre for Disease Control, doctors, and researchers

d) Government websites

e) I have no idea what is happening right now I’m just tired of living through major historical events every week.

4. True or false: there is a lot that researchers and doctors don’t know about the long term affects of COVID-19 and there is evidence that suggests that long-term COVID can affect the brain and the digestive tract.

a) true

b) false

c) not sure

5. True or false: covid and long-covid can affect the sense of taste and smell to the point of which food will either be tasteless and have no smell or taste and smell similarly to sewage/garbage

a) true

b) false

c) not sure

Tansley’s 1917 paper is about the competition of different soil types between Galium Saxatile L. (G. Hercynicum Weig.) and Galium Sylvestre Poll. (G.Asperum Schreb.). To be more specific, Tansley investigates the plant population distributions between two closely related species to answer the ecological problem of competition between plant species. To find the answer to this question, an experimental procedure of observing the growth of the two plant species in different soil types must be done. The soil types used in the study were sandy loam, calcareous, acid peat and non-calcareous.

Tansley did not conduct the experiment himself and instead used the data collected from the original experiment that was done by E. M. Hume. The results concluded that no growth was shown by both species in sandy loam soil, Galium sylvestre grew normally but Galium saxatile grew slowly and a bit before it was suppressed by chlorosis in calcareous soil, growth of both species were slow in acid peat before Galium saxatile begins to surpass Galium sylvestre. Calcareous and non-calcareous soils were more favorable to Galium sylvestre and less favourable to Galium saxatile in later experiments and the reason for this difference is unexplained.

After reading his paper, a distinct comparable difference between his scientific paper and the present modern ones can be seen. One key difference is the lack of statistical analysis and this may be due to the fact that while statistical analysis was first created in the early 19^th century it hasn’t been used as a tool in scientific literature. The reason is because it was first developed as the study of populations, economies and moral actions before it was later used as a mathematical tool for analyzing numbers. Therefore, using statistical analysis as a tool to analyze numbers may not have been developed until many years after the year Tansley’s paper came out.

When I visited the sound and moving image library (the virtual one) I was trying to look for films for the film festival assignment. I had visited the virtual library prior to this course because I needed to watch a film for another class that I was taking. I had not visited the physical sound and moving image library because of lockdown mandates due to COVID-19. On the virtual library, there are links to the collections of music and visual media that are in the physical library. Also, there are links to rent spaces and equipment from the library. The spaces include study spaces which have tools that could play audio or videos. These spaces are only allowed to be used by undergraduate students. another space that the library has is called the screening room. This space seats up to 40 people and is equipped with a projector that could play VHS tapes and DVDs as well as a PC.

                As I was searching for videos to use for the film festival assignment, I looked at the link for Criterion-on-Demand. Dr. Bazely had told us to use Criterion-on-Demand due to its extensive collection of videos, documentaries, movies, and television series. While searching through the website, I found links to a lot of my favourite movies and some TV shows that I watched as a kid. I also saw This is where I found the documentary Parched (my nomination). The documentary was produced by National Geographic, and it is about the water crisis in many developing countries. This documentary highlights how numerous people are either displaced or are forced to pay others for access to clean water. Even though I watched this documentary at the beginning of this course, it still has an impact on me today. Especially since I have heard accounts of indigenous people in Canada who also don’t have access to clean drinking water. I think that if it wasn’t for the sound and moving image library as well as Criterion-on-Demand, I would be more ignorant of the water crisis happening here in Canada as well as in many developing countries.