BIOTERRORISM
INTRODUCTION
At a time when global technological trends have continued to advance bacteria, viruses and fungi have become main elements used in bioterrorism. Currently terrorist incidents and hoaxes involving toxic or infections agents have been on the rise. Terrorists have used bioterrorism attack by disseminating biological agents like bacteria, virus and fungi causing illness or death to humans, animals, or plants. This essay therefore, will holistically look at the most prominent characteristics of bacteria, viruses and fungi that can be useful in developing an effective method for countering bioterrorism attacks.
BACTERIA.
Bacteria are some of the smallest, unicellular living organisms that lack chlorophyll. Bacteria spore formation shows the different development stages of a bacteria hence, this can help in coming up with methods to destroy the bacteria in the process of countering bioterrorism attack. During spore formation, the cell (after the wall has been removed) continues to duplicate the chromosome resulting to complex structures. The resulting cell has inactive metabolism and almost uneasy to destroy. However this cell spores poses the potential of coming back to life when there source of nourishment in the environments returns. (Birkhauser, 2002).
Diagram 1 Polskie (2006).
Bacteria spore formation process.
Diagram 1 Polskie (2006).
A bacteria spore.
Spore formation process can be a bioterrorism weapon. For example, according to Jeanne (2001), Bacillus anthracis (bacteria that causes anthrax) can form dormant spores that are able to survive in harsh conditions for extremely long periods of timeeven decades or centuries.
VIRUSES.
A virus is a microscopic organism that contains genetic information but cannot reproduce itself. It invades another cell, inserts its own DNA into a host and takes over that cells reproductive machine in order to replicate, this is useful to terrorists in that such replication of cells can result into powerful bioterrorism attack solution. Wong (2006) states that a change in the genetic material of viruses can lead to alteration in its characteristics like, their ability to infect, capability to cause diseases and the shape of surface protein. Understanding cell mutation can assist in discovering the different forms in which a virus can occur, the elements that are transformed and the transformation process depending on where and how mutation occurred on RNA. As stated by Jeremy (2010) as much as mutations characterize error in genetics which most of the time is undesirable to viruses, it can also give rise to beneficial distinguishing features such as certain drug resistance. The number of viral products that are defective would finally cause essential death of virus populations.
FUNGI.
Fungi are a group of living organisms that use organic carbon for growth. One of the most striking characteristic of fungi that can be used in establishing a viable bioterrorism remedy is their mode of feeding. Fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from the environment around them. They achieve this by growing haphae within and without the substrate on which they are feeding. Fungal therefore is crucial in countering bioterrorism attack since, a directed growth of haphae (a long, branching filamentous cell of a towards harmful agents disseminated by terrorists can be conducted making the fungi to feed on this agents. This ensures the degree of harm caused to the environment reduces. For example according to Jeremy (2010) fungi can be used in sites that are radioactively contaminated as a bioremedy and for cleaning up industrial waste waters.
In effort of saving people, animals and plants from toxic or infections agents used by terrorists, a better understanding of bacterial, viral and fungal characteristics and inclusion of the same in developing an effective method is vital. As much as bacteria, viruses and fungi are used in bioterrorism attacks, the have a potential of being used as remedies of the same.
At a time when global technological trends have continued to advance bacteria, viruses and fungi have become main elements used in bioterrorism. Currently terrorist incidents and hoaxes involving toxic or infections agents have been on the rise. Terrorists have used bioterrorism attack by disseminating biological agents like bacteria, virus and fungi causing illness or death to humans, animals, or plants. This essay therefore, will holistically look at the most prominent characteristics of bacteria, viruses and fungi that can be useful in developing an effective method for countering bioterrorism attacks.
BACTERIA.
Bacteria are some of the smallest, unicellular living organisms that lack chlorophyll. Bacteria spore formation shows the different development stages of a bacteria hence, this can help in coming up with methods to destroy the bacteria in the process of countering bioterrorism attack. During spore formation, the cell (after the wall has been removed) continues to duplicate the chromosome resulting to complex structures. The resulting cell has inactive metabolism and almost uneasy to destroy. However this cell spores poses the potential of coming back to life when there source of nourishment in the environments returns. (Birkhauser, 2002).
Diagram 1 Polskie (2006).
Bacteria spore formation process.
Diagram 1 Polskie (2006).
A bacteria spore.
Spore formation process can be a bioterrorism weapon. For example, according to Jeanne (2001), Bacillus anthracis (bacteria that causes anthrax) can form dormant spores that are able to survive in harsh conditions for extremely long periods of timeeven decades or centuries.
VIRUSES.
A virus is a microscopic organism that contains genetic information but cannot reproduce itself. It invades another cell, inserts its own DNA into a host and takes over that cells reproductive machine in order to replicate, this is useful to terrorists in that such replication of cells can result into powerful bioterrorism attack solution. Wong (2006) states that a change in the genetic material of viruses can lead to alteration in its characteristics like, their ability to infect, capability to cause diseases and the shape of surface protein. Understanding cell mutation can assist in discovering the different forms in which a virus can occur, the elements that are transformed and the transformation process depending on where and how mutation occurred on RNA. As stated by Jeremy (2010) as much as mutations characterize error in genetics which most of the time is undesirable to viruses, it can also give rise to beneficial distinguishing features such as certain drug resistance. The number of viral products that are defective would finally cause essential death of virus populations.
FUNGI.
Fungi are a group of living organisms that use organic carbon for growth. One of the most striking characteristic of fungi that can be used in establishing a viable bioterrorism remedy is their mode of feeding. Fungi feed by absorbing nutrients from the environment around them. They achieve this by growing haphae within and without the substrate on which they are feeding. Fungal therefore is crucial in countering bioterrorism attack since, a directed growth of haphae (a long, branching filamentous cell of a towards harmful agents disseminated by terrorists can be conducted making the fungi to feed on this agents. This ensures the degree of harm caused to the environment reduces. For example according to Jeremy (2010) fungi can be used in sites that are radioactively contaminated as a bioremedy and for cleaning up industrial waste waters.
In effort of saving people, animals and plants from toxic or infections agents used by terrorists, a better understanding of bacterial, viral and fungal characteristics and inclusion of the same in developing an effective method is vital. As much as bacteria, viruses and fungi are used in bioterrorism attacks, the have a potential of being used as remedies of the same.
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