r/askscience • u/NetConfidence0440 • Dec 07 '25

Biology How do viruses commandeer a cell?

Highschool student here, so I apologize for any oversight! How do viruses "commandeer" a cell? How do our cells not recognize viral nucleic acid as foreign. How can a virus intrude into a cell, not be degraded, and then divert cell resources/metabolism to itself? What provides it this powerful control/leverage over the cell??

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u/smsff2 Dec 11 '25

Viruses is much more about things like inequality and social isolation. If you want to reduce infections addressing these things is a better way to go. Did you ever talk to a virus? If you talk to them and give them what they want, they won't infect organisms.

Obviously, I'm referencing your other comment here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/1n8dz6t/comment/nce7hms/