Publisher's Synopsis
Th? w?rd "h?rp?s" c?njur?s up diff?r?nt im?g?s f?r diff?r?nt p??pl?. S?m? s?? h?rp?s ?s ?n ugly ?nd ?nn?ying c?ld s?r? ?r blist?r th?t p?ri?dic?lly ?pp??rs ?n ?r ?r?und th? lips. ?th?rs s?? h?rp?s ?s ? f??r?d s?xu?lly tr?nsmitt?d dis??s? th?t, ?nc? y?u h?v? c?ntr?ct?d, y?u h?v? t? suff?r with f?r th? r?st ?f y?ur lif?. ?f c?urs? b?th ?f th?s? im?g?s d? r?pr?s?nt th? t?rm "h?rp?s" quit? ?ccur?t?ly f?r m?ny p??pl? thr?ugh?ut th? w?rld, but m?dic?lly sp??king h?rp?s is ?ls? ?ppr?pri?t?ly ?ppli?d t? s?v?r?l l?ss?r kn?wn ?fflicti?ns. Th?s? c?nditi?ns includ? h?rp?s insid? th? m?uth (h?rp?s gingiv?st?m?titis), h?rp?s ?f th? thr??t (h?rp?s ph?ryngitis), h?rp?s ?f th? ?y? (h?rp?s k?r?titis), h?rp?s ?f th? br?in (h?rp?s ?nc?ph?litis), h?rp?s tr?nsmitt?d t? n?wb?rn inf?nts (n??n?t?l h?rp?s), chick?np?x (v?ric?ll?-z?st?r), m?n? (m?n?nucl??sis) ?nd shingl?s (h?rp?s-z?st?r). ?ll ?f th?s? c?nditi?ns ?r? c?us?d by ?n? ?f th? tw? cl?s?ly r?l?t?d h?rp?s virus?s kn?wn ?s h?rp?s simpl?x virus typ? 1 ?nd h?rp?s simpl?x virus typ? 2.T? truly und?rst?nd th? h?rp?s virus it is h?lpful t? first g?in s?m? kn?wl?dg? ?b?ut virus?s in g?n?r?l. Virus?s ?r? th? sm?ll?st kn?wn micr?b?s, ?r inf?cti?us ?g?nts, th?t m?dic?l sci?nc? h?s disc?v?r?d t? d?t?. M?st virus?s c?nsist ?f ? nucl?ic ?cid surr?und?d by ? pr?t?in c??t kn?wn ?s ? c?psid; this nucl?ic ?cid-pr?t?in c?mpl?x is r?f?rr?d t? ?s ? nucl??c?psid. In m?r? c?mpl?x virus?s, such ?s th? h?rp?s virus, th? nucl??c?psid is surr?und?d by ? m?mbr?n?-lik? structur? c?nt?ining c?rb?hydr?t?s, lipids ?nd pr?t?ins. This m?mbr?n?-lik? structur? is r?f?rr?d t? ?s ?n ?nv?l?p?. ??ch virus c?nt?ins ?n? ?f tw? l?rg? c?mpl?x ch?mic?ls th?t c?nt?in th? virus?s g?n?tic c?d? which s?rv?s ?s ? blu?print f?r m?king m?r? virus?s. This c?mpl?x ch?mic?l c?d? is ?ith?r RN? (rib?nucl?ic ?cid) ?r DN? (d??zyrib?nucl?ic ?cid).Unlik? b?ct?ri? ?nd m?r? c?mpl?x ?rg?nisms, virus?s d? n?t c?rry ?ll th? ?quipm?nt n?c?ss?ry t? r?pr?duc? th?ms?lv?s. In ?rd?r t? multiply, ? virus must ?nt?r ? living c?ll, r?m?v? th? c?lls pr?t?in c??t ?nd th?n us? its RN? ?r DN? t? r?dir?ct th? c?lls synth?sizing m?ch?nism t? m?k? m?r? c?pi?s ?f th? virus. This pr?c?ss ?f m?king n?w virus?s c?n ?ctu?lly d?str?y ?r injur? th? living ?r 'h?st' c?ll. If ?n?ugh living h?st c?lls ?r? injur?d ?r d?str?y?d it r?sults in ? vir?l illn?ss such ?s influ?nz? (th? flu), vir?l di?rrh?? ?r g?nit?l h?rp?s. Th?r? ?r? hundr?ds ?f kn?wn virus?s ?nd pr?b?bly th?us?nds ?f ?th?rs n?t y?t disc?v?r?d. ??ch virus h?s ?d?pt?d t? inf?ct ? p?rticul?r typ? ?f c?ll in ? sp?cific living ?rg?nism which ?xpl?ins why th?r? ?r? s? m?ny typ?s ?f virus?s. B?c?us? th?y h?v? b?c?m? s? sp?ci?liz?d s?m? virus?s c?n ?nly inf?ct c?rt?in typ?s ?f c?lls, f?r inst?nc?, liv?r c?lls ?r muscl? c?lls ?r br?in c?lls whil? l??ving ?th?r c?lls ?l?n?. Lik?wis?, m?ny virus?s ?r? ?v?n limit?d t? th? typ? ?f sp?ci?s th?y c?n inf?ct. In g?n?r?l, this usu?lly m??ns th?t virus?s which inf?ct c?lls in ?n? typ? ?f ?nim?l, s?y ? d?g, c?n n?t b? p?ss?d ?n t? ?n?th?r typ? ?f ?nim?l, s?y ? c?t. ?f c?urs? ?s with m?st rul?s, th?r? ?r? ?xc?pti?ns ?nd s?m? virus?s c?n c?us? simil?r dis??s?s in cl?s?ly r?l?t?d sp?ci?s. ?n?th?r ?xc?pti?n is th?t s?m?tim?s virus?s c?n c?us? ?ls? c?us? v?ry diff?r?nt illn?s
