Viruses are small parasitic beings formed by a protein capsule that can infect living organisms (humans or animals). The term comes from Latin virus which means poison or toxin. Due to the property of rapid contamination, the word "virus" is also used figuratively to designate something that reproduces in a parasitical way, for example, "corruption virus".
Biological viruses
Viruses need host cells to reproduce. Inside the cells they manage to obtain amino acids, ribosomes and other substances that make it possible to multiply in thousands of new viruses. This viral replication process can take just a few hours or several days, depending on the virus. Once inside the cells, the viruses begin to interfere with their normal functioning and cause various diseases such as: AIDS (through the HIV – Human Immunodeficiency Virus), HPV – Human Papilloma Virus, Influenza (for example through the Influenza A virus subtype H1N1), among others. To prevent and fight some diseases, there are viral vaccines and other drugs.
Computer virus
In IT, a computer virus is a program designed to cause serious inconvenience to computer users or a company. Like biological viruses, electronic viruses spread very quickly in a medium like the internet. The goals of those who create malicious software can be diverse, from deleting files to stealing information. Antiviruses are software created by responsible companies in order to eliminate viruses from infected computers.
viral marketing
Viral marketing is an expression related to marketing techniques used on the internet. It is a resource for quickly spreading information through different means (e-mail, social networks, etc.).
