Why is it that biological viruses kill cells?

If viruses are made of DNA, and they take over a cell by using that cell's DNA to reproduce themselves, why does that kill the cell? Shouldn't that just alter the cell's DNA and make the person look/act different?

Why is it that biological viruses kill cells?software

Trouble is, now the cell is doing what the virus DNA is telling it ... which unfortunately doesn't include things necessary for keeping the cell or surrounding cells alive in the long run.

If a heart cell stops acting as a heart cell but only reproduces viri DNA, then it won't be useful to the heart. Get enough of them doing it and the heart stops pumping ... and things go down might fast from there.

Why is it that biological viruses kill cells?vincent

Sorry to tell you this, but the virus does NOT direct the cell, it only borrows some of its pieces. And that's not what kills the cell. I hope you didn't give that as your answer for anything, because that's not how viruses work. Report It


Cells can't exist without DNA. When the virus takes the DNA from the cell to reproduce, it doesn't ''give it back.''

Think of it as a car thief, that takes your engine, then gives back your car. Now you've just got a car frame, not a working car.
It's the huge volumes of replication that fill the cell up with the virus to the point that the cell breaks releasing all the copies of the virus to infect more cells.