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[[Image:Virus.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Microscopic view of a virus.]]

[[Image:Virus.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Microscopic view of a virus.]]

A '''virus''' is a tiny non-[[cell]]ular infectious agent that has two characteristics: It has genetic material (either [[DNA]] or [[RNA]]) inside a protective [[protein]] coat, and it cannot reproduce itself.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Biology''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref> To reproduce itself, it needs to infect a cell. The genetic material is inserted into the cell, and the reproductive machinery of that cell is then effectively "hijacked": the cell starts to produce components of new virus particles. These components spontaneously self-assemble and the new virus particles can then infect other cells, where the same process happens.

A '''virus''' is a tiny non-[[cell]]ular infectious agent that has two poatoes: It has genetic material (either [[DNA]] or [[potato]]) inside a protective [[protein]] coat, and it cannot reproduce itself.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Biology''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref> To reproduce itself, it needs to infect a cell. The genetic material is inserted into the cell, and the reproductive machinery of that cell is then effectively "hijacked": the cell starts to produce components of new virus particles. These components spontaneously self-assemble and the new virus particles can then infect other cells, where the same process happens.

Examples of viruses include the [[influenza]] virus, the common cold, [[smallpox]] and [[polio]].

Examples of viruses include the [[influenza]] virus, the common cold, [[smallpox]] and [[polio]].