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7 answers

The last answer is getting closer. Animal viruses most often enter cells by using a cellular receptor. This requires them to mimic some compound that the cell needs, so the host cell inadvertantly takes them in. The animal virus replicates and leaves the cell by budding or cell lysis, and floats off in search of another host cell.

Plant viruses enter host cells by wounding only, because plant cells have cell walls. Once the plant virus enters the plant cell it replicates and moves through the host by sneaking through holes between neighboring cells called plasmodesmata.

So TMV, should it make it's way into your body (and plenty of it does, especially if you smoke), has no way to get into a cell. Even if it did, it would have a hard time utilizing the animal cell machinery, because it has evolved to utilize plant cells, which are different in many aspects.

2007-01-24 01:15:48 · answer #1 · answered by floundering penguins 5 · 0 0

Very good question and no one here has answered it. In fact there are many plant viruses that infect animal cells. Most plant viruses rely on a vector such as an insect to move from one plant to another. Those that replicate inside their vector have a 'persistant' mode of replication, which means they infect and replicate both in insect cells and plant cells. A good example is the tospoviruses, which are related to the Bunyaviruses. There is some doubt if they are insect viruses or plant viruses. TMV is non-persistant, ie it does not infect animal cells, and no one knows why!

2007-01-23 17:44:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

A virus is hundreds of times smaller than a human cell or even a bacteria. I don't understand the science, but a virus has to be in the nucleus of a cell to multiply. It goes in then starts dividing. Some like Ebola and Aids Virus can totally destroy a blood cell. After they run out of nucleus, they head for new cells. They can not divide outside of a cell but some can live for some time outside of a body. Now there are antivirals that I think stop the virus from multiplying, I'm not sure. They can not be killed by antibiotics. Flu, common cold and herpes diseases like chicken pox and shingles are caused by a virus.Antivirals have to be given very shortly after a virus starts otherwise it can not do anything to stop the virus from spreading. Usually if somebody has been exposed to a virus like the flu, they can build up immunity. If there is a new one, like this strain of flu, most people are not immune unless they are exposed to it and sometimes can get sicker. Bacteria can be killed by antibiotics, although some are getting more resistant. Bacterial infections can follow viral infections like the flu. They can be sinus infections, bacterial pneumonia. Salmonella is a bacteria that causes digestive tract problems.

2016-03-28 23:51:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Becoz all viruses have specific host cells. Each virus infects only its specific host cell.

2007-01-23 17:35:40 · answer #4 · answered by Janu 4 · 0 0

the same reason for the HIV virus not infecting plants..each virus can infect a organism that it can live on,which depends on the viral DNA.

2007-01-23 17:22:19 · answer #5 · answered by ajredd 2 · 0 0

because viruses work by mimicing the genetic material in a healthy cell. Plant genetics are based on RNA, while animal genetics are based on DNA. Fundimental difference

2007-01-23 17:21:14 · answer #6 · answered by walter_b_marvin 5 · 0 1

same reason when you sneeze on a rose bush it doesnt get your cold
different genes

2007-01-23 17:20:36 · answer #7 · answered by q6656303 6 · 0 1

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