Day 4: How Disease Works 

Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus can kill many types of plants. We will explore how an infection of a single cell can cause a whole system of teamed tissues to collapse.

A virus is tiny particle that has genetic material inside a protein coat. It needs a cell to replicate (multiply).

The cell is hurt in three ways

An insect called a thrip punctures the tomato plant cell wall and cell membrane, allowing a virus to enter the cell. 

So the cell can't keep things in or out and the cell loses water and wilts.

A virus does not have its own protein factory. The virus takes over the cell's ribosome protein factories to make virus protein. 

So the cell can't build its own protein and it stops growing.

The multiplying viruses take over the Golgi body post office to move new viruses outside the cell. Exiting viruses invade other cells.

So the cell cannot use its own post office to move things around or out of the cell, including new cell wall materials. So the walls weaken and the cells collapse.

Do the Google Classroom activity 1:2:4 Hijacked Cells Organizer