Viruses are fascinating little cellular machines. Since viruses are inert and virtually lifeless, they require other forces to spread them around. When a virus, like influenza, stumbles into a specific type of cell, like epithelial tissue, the virus activates. It breaks through the cell's defensive barrier by providing a forged protein passkey. Once inside, the virus assumes control of the host's biological machinery, and uses it to replicate itself. The cell makes so many copies of the virus that the pressure eventually ruptures the cell and new viruses spill out, infecting the surrounding cells.
That's some scary stuff!
Here's hoping we never see another influenza epidemic like this one.
So make sure you get vaccinated. Don't let the viruses win without a fight.
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Sketched on 11”x14” Strathmore Bristol, finalized and painted in Photoshop CS 3. This one took somewhere from 2 weeks to forever to put together. The four point curved perspective made the picture maddening, but I persevered.
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