the.com/virology
the study of things technically not alive that keep nearly killing everything alive
means The scientific study of viruses — their structure, behavior, evolution, and the diseases they cause.
from A modern compound: Latin 'virus' (poison, venom, or slimy liquid) bolted onto Greek '-logia' (study of). The Latin root once meant any noxious fluid — Romans used it for snake venom and foul juices alike — long before microscopes revealed the actual culprits. The science-flavored '-ology' suffix was attached in the 20th century, as the field came into its own.
- size scale
- Most viruses are smaller than the light they hide from
- sheer numbers
- Earth holds more viruses than stars in the universe
- founding moment
- Field began when a filter caught nothing, infected anyway
- gene theft
- About eight percent of human DNA is viral
- giant surprise
- Some viruses dwarf bacteria, breaking every old rule