Video Clips of Bacteriophages Life Cycle

http://www.dnatube.com/group/virus_videos/?viewkey=85b7a8012516bc353395&search_id=virus

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit3/viruses/pen_lyt.html

http://student.ccbcmd.edu/courses/bio141/lecguide/unit3/viruses/repmatlt.html

A Picture of a Bacteriophage infecting a Bateria

Letter of Introduction

Greeting, my name is Marvin Dates, and I am a senior at East High School. I am 18 years old and plan to graduate on May 15, 2010. After I graduate from East High School, I plan to attend a college of my choice. While in school, my favorite subject was biology and because of that, I plan to do something in that field to help save people. My capstone project is a reflection of my love for biology, and my ever growing interest in new fields of biology I discovered.My capstone project ih how bacteriophages infect a bacterium, and how that process could lead ro medical advancement.
Even when I was a little boy, science has always been fun and an interesting subject to me. To learn more about the world around me, and to know how things came to be always fascinated me. When I started to mature, I started to see how science could really benefit the medical field. The appliances of science in the medical field revolutionize the way we healed ourselves, and saved millions of lives. That effect leads me to believe that I should do something to better help people.

Bacteriophages Bursting Out of a Bacteria Cell

Abstract

Bacteriophages are a type of virus that only infects bacteria. It may reproduce with fidelity or with errors (mutations)-this ability to mutate is responsible for the ability of some viruses to change slightly in each infected person, making treatment more difficult. These viruses are very small, ranging from 20 nanometers to several hundred nanometers, which is barely visible under a light microscope. The T4 bacteriophages have roughly around 300 genes. The genes are transcribed and translated using the bacteria cell's machinery (organelles and proteins). The reason why this type of viruses is so beneficial to medical advancement is because this virus only infects bacteria, and it follows a lytic life cycle. The lytic life cycle is when a virus uses the cell machinery to make copies of its genome and structure, resulting in the cell wall being lysis when the new viruses burst out. The entire lytic life cycle is very short ranging from 20-30 minutes at 37C. In that amount of time, hundred of new phages can be produce leading to the total eradication of a population of bacteria in hours. That could lead to cures for a bacteria infection in a matter of hours. The use of phages a cure has already been use in past dates. Although they have been used to treat people, many people are worried because they still are viruses which are know for causing incurable disease.

Annotated Bibliography

"Definition of Virus." www.medicalnet.com. MedicineNet,Inc, 2010. Web. 3 Apr 2010. < http://www.medterms.com/scrpit/main/ar>
This website gave me the background information of what viruses are. It gave me a clear and understandable definition for my research paper. This information was very vital because it allowed me to create an introduction to my project. This helpful information allowed me to also create a better structure to begin my research paper with.
"Viruses." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. W. H. Freeman and Company, 2000. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .
This website gave me information on the difference and many type of virus there are. It allowed me to give the reader a broad oversee of the many viruses there are with a brief description. It also allowed me to better single out the virus that I am specifically explain on my research paper.
Mayer, Gene. "BACTERIOPHAGE ." http:///pathmicro.med.sc.edu. The Board of Trustees of the University of South Carolina, 17 Feb 2010. Web. 3 Apr 2010. .
This website allowed me to go in to detail about the structure and chemical make up of bacteriophages. It gave a very accurate and detail information the bacteriophages, from their icosahedral head all the way to their unique head. The bacteriophages have a very unique structure, and are the most complex of all viruses.
"General Information about Bacteriophages ." http://www.phages.org/. Phage.org, 2009. Web. 3 Apr 2010.
This website gave me a detail description of the life cycle of bacteriophages. It was the life cycle of the bacteriophages that make them so useful to fight infection cased by pathogenic bacteria. This key piece of information allowed me to give reason as to why bacteriophages can be use to help save people.
Bradley, David. "Viruses Versus Bacteria." www.sciencebase.com. David Bradley, 2010. Web. 13 Apr 2010. .

This website gave me the evidence to back up the clam that bacteriophages can be use to fight infection cause by bacteria. From this I gather that bacteriophages can have been already use to fight infections in old time, but have the treatment has been put on hold. This was a major piece of evidence I need for my research paper.

Reflection

Ernest Dimnet once said that, "his object of reflection is invariably the discovery of something satisfying to the mind which was not there at the beginning of the search." Capstone is the finally presentation a student can give to a body of peers in the 12 grade. It is his/her final show of accomplishment to the teachers and the student body that he/she worked with. I believe that Capstone is a vital step to finally prepare student to advance into a college atmosphere.
In doing my research paper, I found that bacteriophages can be use as a medical treatment. This was amazing to me because I originally thought that they could only cause infections in the human body. To use a virus to fight another organism without having to change it’s genetic around to much could revolutionize how we cure people. It made my mind spin with all the thought and possibility that could happen.