Kyle Kimball

BIOL 1090
Signature Report Influenza
Influenza, also known as the flu, is a virus that is well known to many people. We all
know the symptoms such as having a fever of 100o or higher, coughing and sore throat, runny or
stuffy nose, headaches, fatigue, vomiting, etc. However, there are many questions that not many
people know the answer to. What is the driving force behind this common virus? How does it
seem to spread so rapidly and easily? What systems of the body are affected by it? And how
exactly does it affect these systems? Here we will be taking a closer look at what the dreaded
influenza virus is.
The word influenza appears to originate from the Italian phrase influenza di febbre, in
essence meaning influence of fever. It has been known of for many years and is common among
all classes of people. So what exactly is it? Influenza is primarily a respiratory illness. The virus
infects the various cells that line respiratory system components such as the lungs, nose, and
throat. In order to enter these cells it has what is called a hemagglutinin protein that binds to a
receptor on the cell. From there its game over. Once bonded, the cell begins the process of
endocytosis, thinking that it is another protein that will be beneficial to bring in. However, once
it is inside the cell it begins to create more viruses using the parts of the cell in which it is
residing. Instead of serving its normal and rather useful purpose, the cell has now become an
influenza virus factory.
How can this process be prevented? Influenza vaccinations have been created in order to
form antibodies that are specific to the many strains of flu present at the time. These antibodies

specifically fight against the hemagglutinin protein that the virus uses to attach to cells. So in
order to prevent the virus from being able to bond to healthy cells, the antibodies rush to the
front lines and attach themselves to the proteins, thus creating an effective barricade between the
virus and potential host cells. However, genes can mutate, and as a result the protein on the virus
may be different and create a different strain and be able to get past the antibodies. This is why
the flu vaccination constantly changes. Different vaccinations are created in order to fight against
upcoming new strains of flu.
The response of the body to this virus is to attempt to eliminate it as soon as possible. As
a result, we see the common symptoms as listed above. The body will increase core temperature
in order to try to burn it out (in a sense). As the various processes of the body begin to fight we
also see coughing, runny nose, stuffy nose, headache, etc. These come because of the rebellion
happening on the inside. Some of it is the body fighting the virus while other things come with
the irritation and invasion of the virus itself. Many ask: What can be done? The simple answer is
not much. Symptoms can be alleviated with medication, but per my research it appears that the
body simply needs to run its course and flush it out of the system. The process can take
anywhere from one week to two and upwards of three sometimes.

Works Cited
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=influenza
https://science.education.nih.gov
http://mmbr.asm.org/content/56/1/152.short