Thanks, Jeff was asking for a very silly reason
have this twisted fantasy that the Genie grants 3 wishes, but the %^&*# Genie is a *lawyer* :-( so, if this ever happens, before spending a wish to eliminate all viruses (thereby eradicating cancer, flu, colds, AIDS, etc.) I wanted to make sure I would not be dooming us because of some virus we needed... -Ben > -----Original Message----- > From: Garza, Jeff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 9:15 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: Beneficial viruses (was: circumcision advantage) > > > In a natural sense, no. The only purpose of a virus is to replicate. > That's it. The processes that they hijack at the cellular level don't > produce anything other than the parts necessary to create new virions. > Typically this will kill the host cell. Definitely not beneficial. > > There are some natural uses of viruses though. Small pox was > eradicated by > a virus. Not in a literal sense but the Cow Pox Virus > conferred immunity to > small pox with virtually no disease symptoms. The virus > really didn't do > anything other than look a lot like it's more virulent cousin... > > Now, with genetic engineering, things get a lot more interesting. > Researchers are looking at genetically altering viruses to > fight cancer. > Viruses are routinely used to create pest resistant crops by > injecting the > DNA needed to create chemicals the bugs don't like... > Viruses are also used > to create new cell lines for research (making cancer cells > that replicate > forever...). So there are lots of "uses" for altered > viruses... Beneficial > is left to the eye of the beholder. > > > Jeff Garza > *Now unveiled as supreme geek* > > -----Original Message----- > From: Braver, Ben [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 8:47 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: RE: Circumcision advantage > > > Jeff- > > as a former microbiologist, maybe you can answer a question > I've wondered > about for a looooong time: > > there are beneficial bacteria (e.g., the cultures that make > yogurt). are > there beneficial viruses, or are all viruses harmful? > > -Ben > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Garza, Jeff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 8:43 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: RE: Circumcision advantage > > > > > > Technically you are correct, if you are a human. If you are > > a bacteria, > > it's quite a different story. There are plenty of viruses > that infect > > bacteria only. Although, I don't know of any viruses that > > can infect both > > mammalian and bacterial cells... > > > > Jeff Garza > > Former Microbiologist... > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Kevin Schmidt [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 8:34 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: RE: Circumcision advantage > > > > > > I sent a similar post yesterday! > > > > Bacteria doesn't cause a virus. > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Braver, Ben [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 10:16 AM > > To: CF-Community > > Subject: RE: Circumcision advantage > > > > Wrong on a couple of counts - > > > > it's not a bacteria, it's a virus > > and it was in the tissue of the foreskin, not the smegma > > > > (I found this out by reading more of the article after > > posting what I heard > > on the radio.) > > > > -Ben > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Philip Arnold - ASP [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > > > Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 5:49 AM > > > To: CF-Community > > > Subject: RE: Circumcision advantage > > > > > > > > > > the particular bacteria grow in the smegma. And you can > > look it up > > > > yourself because I'm not going to explain it. > > > > > > So, if you're clean and wash every day, there's virtually > no smegma, > > > so you can't pass on the bacteria - right? > > > > > > Philip Arnold > > > Technical Director > > > Certified ColdFusion Developer > > > ASP Multimedia Limited > > > T: +44 (0)20 8680 1133 > > > F: +44 (0)20 8686 7911 > > > > > > An ISO9001 registered company. > > > > > > > > > ********************************************************************** > > > This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > > > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to > > whom they > > > are addressed. If you have received this email in error > > please notify > > > the system manager. > > > > > > ********************************************************************** > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ______________________________________________________________________ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
