Does anyone know what a prion is?
Science is unsure, and I'm wondering if anyone here really knows what a prion is.
The wikipedia explanation is not a good one, its labeled as a folding protien, but theres much more to it than just that.
Anyway, are prions the most dangerous threat on earth?
Can anyone share some insight?
I wonder about the effects that prions can have on oceanic species, or in any other ecosystem we have no direct control of.
It's a protein which folds in a weird way, and its new shape enables it to fold the same kind of original protein to that weird shape.
Which would cause structural damage and stuff like that.
I can't imagine them as a threat anywhere near other kinds of infections because malformed proteins are prob easier to find a solution for and far naturally rarer.
>>17143022
Didnt you make a thread yesterday claiming to know about mad cow disease or some shit?
I'm checking your IP...
>>17143022
>I wonder about the effects that prions can have on oceanic species, or in any other ecosystem we have no direct control of.
>we have no direct control of
Very little, man. Humans are pretty much the root cause of the three notable transmittable prion spreading. Whether it be eating brains of other humans or feeding cow bits of cow...seriously farmers, you had only one job, give cow the plants it wants to eat.
There are a fair number of other prions, but generally they don't occur often, unless we fuck shit up..
>>17143022
My (limited and NOT TO BE MISTAKEN FOR ME STATING FACT) understanding of it is that it's a sort of disease that's spread through ingestion i.e. some nutball in the arctic dies and you eat his brain/bone marrow and you turn into a nutball.
My little brother mentioned these the other day, when I was talking about why cannibalism is wrong (basically spread of disease). He's a senior and one of his classes last semester coincidentally covered it I guess. I didn't know what he was talking about, but I acted like I did because he's smart as fuck and I try to not look dumb to him lol.
Meant to look them up. If some dumb schitzo shit happens ITT, I probably will post links once I have. It'll be published scientific study, so who knows if it'll be accepted.
>>17143349
Retarded OP should listen to this educated man.
OP yesterday you were havin a real fuckin meltdown on not bein very spooky with this topic at least go to science board or read an intro to bio book
sage
>>17143022
Prions are simpler than a virus - they are purely chemical, and not alive (as if life ISN'T purely chemical).
"Incorrectly" folded protein really is the accurate description. It has a different molecular shape than the standard protein, but what makes it dangerous is the new shape is "contagious" in that when a prion interacts with a regular protein, the regular one changes into the prion shape. This new, prion shape is absolutely USELESS for biological systems.
If you consider your brain to made of sugar, then getting a prion disease is like throwing a bucket of water on your sugar brain - the structure literally starts melting. Prions "eat" away at the protein structure of the brain, and create little holes.
The scary thing is that because it's purely mechanical - because prions aren't alive - there is no vaccine, no antibacterial, no treatment or cure for this process. It's like a slow fire burning in the brain with no way to put it out.
>>17143022
>Science is unsure
I asked science and he says you're full of shit
>>17143022
>Science is unsure
You're completely wrong about that. Prions are covered in basic college biology. 18 year old kids are tested on their knowledge about prions.
Just because you don't understand the Wikipedia article about prions does not mean science has no grasp on the topic.
