Mimiviruses are viruses so big they can actually be seen with a simple light microscope. European scientists have now learned that these bizarre organisms have their own immune system that makes them virtually invulnerable to predatory viruses, suggesting these creatures may actually represent a new branch in the tree…
Why are we still alive when our bodies are constantly under attack from bacteria, viruses and more? As this video explains, it is because we have a coordinated army of cells fighting for our cause—and this is thanks to our immune systems.
Viruses and their hosts are in a perpetual state of evolutionary war. Host organisms try to find ways to get rid of their parasitic interlopers, while viruses develop countermeasures to evade rejection. It's a biological arms race that often results in some pretty strange innovations. But Tufts University researchers…
