Robster FCD
Critical Thinker
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2008
- Messages
- 379
I moved a bit away from my planned lectures on environmental science for my two freshmen biology sections to focus on this current and very teachable event, and thought that other educators may find these lecture notes and resources useful.
First off, the google swine flu map provides an excellent resource for teaching how modern transportation can make preventing the spread of flu practically impossible.
The pink flags are suspected cases, the purple (I see blue, but as a guy, I only came with 8 crayons in my box) are verified or likely swine flu, and the yellow have been determined to not be swine flu. The presence of a dot means that no deaths are associated with this report. No dot, and there are deaths. I don't know if I would use this in an elementary or middle school setting, as the thought of an un-containable illness that is sometimes lethal may not be age appropriate.
Next up is the structure of the virus. All viruses have genetic material that is either DNA or RNA, proteins that surround and protect the genetic material, and spike proteins that allow it to interact with the environment and bind to target receptors on the cells it can affect.
The flu virus has RNA for genetic material, and typically has 8 short stretches of DNA, which exist in a fashion similar to mini chromosomes. It also has two spike proteins which also are the antigens that our immune system recognizes, and give the name and classifications for these viruses. Hemagglutinin targets the virus to infect a specific cell type, and is the H of the H1N1 of the current flu type. Neuraminidase helps the virus bud off of the cell, and is the remaining N. For each different group of flu virus, HxNy describes a related group with lots of strains with minor mutations between them.
Since most of us have had H1N1 flus or flu shots recently, we have some immunity to this group, which is great news. However, mutant strains may be different enough to sneak past our immune system and make use sick. That is what is happening with this particular swine flu.
Also of interest is that the flu virus is an envelope virus. As it buds off of the host cell, it surrounds itself with some of the host's cell membrane. This means that the host cell doesn't die when viruses are released. It may die later if the virus causes the cell to use too much of its own resources to make viruses, or if the immune system detects the infected cell and targets it for killing.
I mentioned that the genome is set up as mini chromosomes, each with one or two genes, and this is very important to this particular strain. You may have heard that his flu virus has a mix of avian (bird), swine and human flu genes. Well, this is unusual, but not unheard of, and is certainly not evidence of genetic engineering and conspiracy as some CTrs are claiming.
First, many different groups of animals have their own flu viruses, but only these three groups do a good job of infecting humans. Lets say we have a hog farm, maybe with some ducks and pigeons in the area, and of course, humans.
The birds pass one virus to a hog, which is also infected with its own flu virus. This means that the animal (Animal I in my blackboard notes) has two different viruses in it's cells. The mini chromosomes would sort separately, just like chromosomes in meiosis, and each new virus would have a random mix of bird and swine flu genes.
Lets say this gets passed along for a bit from one pig to another, or perhaps back to some birds. At some time, another animal (Animal II) becomes infected with the hybrid virus and a third virus, this time from a human group. Again, we have a mixture of genes being produced, and the most fit ones (not necessarily the ones that cause the worst disease) spread through the population.
If the genes are just right, the virus ends up moving into the human population and can be spread from one person to another.
Also of great value is the HHMI's biointeractive website. Under the lecture tab, holiday lectures, infectious disease, you can find the 1999 lecture, which is a little out of date, but there is one part of the 4th lecture that specifically deals with the flu, and you get most of the above information.
The Holiday lectures are targeted towards advanced high school students, but I think that the lecturer probably used words and terms that were a bit more advanced than are needed. I don't mind showing it to my college students, but even so, I know that some probably still didn't follow parts of it. Alas, you can't reach them all.
Best, and teach on.
First off, the google swine flu map provides an excellent resource for teaching how modern transportation can make preventing the spread of flu practically impossible.
The pink flags are suspected cases, the purple (I see blue, but as a guy, I only came with 8 crayons in my box) are verified or likely swine flu, and the yellow have been determined to not be swine flu. The presence of a dot means that no deaths are associated with this report. No dot, and there are deaths. I don't know if I would use this in an elementary or middle school setting, as the thought of an un-containable illness that is sometimes lethal may not be age appropriate.
Next up is the structure of the virus. All viruses have genetic material that is either DNA or RNA, proteins that surround and protect the genetic material, and spike proteins that allow it to interact with the environment and bind to target receptors on the cells it can affect.
The flu virus has RNA for genetic material, and typically has 8 short stretches of DNA, which exist in a fashion similar to mini chromosomes. It also has two spike proteins which also are the antigens that our immune system recognizes, and give the name and classifications for these viruses. Hemagglutinin targets the virus to infect a specific cell type, and is the H of the H1N1 of the current flu type. Neuraminidase helps the virus bud off of the cell, and is the remaining N. For each different group of flu virus, HxNy describes a related group with lots of strains with minor mutations between them.
Since most of us have had H1N1 flus or flu shots recently, we have some immunity to this group, which is great news. However, mutant strains may be different enough to sneak past our immune system and make use sick. That is what is happening with this particular swine flu.
Also of interest is that the flu virus is an envelope virus. As it buds off of the host cell, it surrounds itself with some of the host's cell membrane. This means that the host cell doesn't die when viruses are released. It may die later if the virus causes the cell to use too much of its own resources to make viruses, or if the immune system detects the infected cell and targets it for killing.
I mentioned that the genome is set up as mini chromosomes, each with one or two genes, and this is very important to this particular strain. You may have heard that his flu virus has a mix of avian (bird), swine and human flu genes. Well, this is unusual, but not unheard of, and is certainly not evidence of genetic engineering and conspiracy as some CTrs are claiming.
First, many different groups of animals have their own flu viruses, but only these three groups do a good job of infecting humans. Lets say we have a hog farm, maybe with some ducks and pigeons in the area, and of course, humans.
The birds pass one virus to a hog, which is also infected with its own flu virus. This means that the animal (Animal I in my blackboard notes) has two different viruses in it's cells. The mini chromosomes would sort separately, just like chromosomes in meiosis, and each new virus would have a random mix of bird and swine flu genes.
Lets say this gets passed along for a bit from one pig to another, or perhaps back to some birds. At some time, another animal (Animal II) becomes infected with the hybrid virus and a third virus, this time from a human group. Again, we have a mixture of genes being produced, and the most fit ones (not necessarily the ones that cause the worst disease) spread through the population.
If the genes are just right, the virus ends up moving into the human population and can be spread from one person to another.
Also of great value is the HHMI's biointeractive website. Under the lecture tab, holiday lectures, infectious disease, you can find the 1999 lecture, which is a little out of date, but there is one part of the 4th lecture that specifically deals with the flu, and you get most of the above information.
The Holiday lectures are targeted towards advanced high school students, but I think that the lecturer probably used words and terms that were a bit more advanced than are needed. I don't mind showing it to my college students, but even so, I know that some probably still didn't follow parts of it. Alas, you can't reach them all.
Best, and teach on.
, so I'll just post the link here and see what happens. 
