h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hmmm ... what about if you took it out of PR while giving it a re-writing?

Just a thought...

HELL

Just one very minor cavil - are Rickettsias worth a mention alongside Prions?
Might also be worth mentioning that not all bacteria are pathogenic - most are either harmless or beneficial.

Nice article, though.

Nah I reckon I'll be able to manage it whilst in PR! I'm going to stay in tonight and do hootoo stuff! I just had a cold yesterday..

I will mention that most bacteria are harmless. .as well..

I'll post when I'm done!

I'm done, so what do you all think is it ok

Gubiatrix,

I'm glad you liked this artilce, I'm sorry me posting a reply got lost amougst a major re write.

To answer you questions, yes the different type of mucus produces lets sperm through and in fact helps them get though by feeding them!

Complement is activated when a series of reactions takes place that leads to C3 complement protien being cleved, there are two possible series of reactions, these are known as pathways.

An abcess is a lot of dead bacteria and neutrophil's surrounded by a crust of living ones, they can keep on top of the ones on the edge, but they can't get to the middle. That means it's solid crust with a liquid inside it, my housemate saw one being removed from a breast and the surgeon cut it in half to show the liquid.

Yes they are coommon in teeth...

Just before I log out for today:

---
"or your own bodies immune system?" = "Or your own body's immune system?"

"Briefy the immune system" = "Briefly the immune system"

"to infection gettting in" = "to stop infections getting in"

"there are a lot smaller than even one of our cells, they are about 10 times smaller than one of our cells, just a few micrometers." = "they are about ten times smaller than one of our cells atjust a few micrometers."

"often get sever infections" = "often get severe infections"

"using all nutierents" = "using all nutrients"

"then you take a few days of work" = "then you take a few days off work"

"might collonise" = "might colonise"

"The Neutrophils are the cells in your body that kill most bacteria that live outside of your cells, they do that by phagocytosing the bacteria. Phagocytosis is process where they "eat" the bacteria, take a bacterium within themselves and break it down, once they have taken a few bacteria within them they die themselves." = "The neutrophils are the cells in your body that kill most bacteria that live outside of your cells. They do that by phagocytosing the bacteria. Phagocytosis is the process by which they "eat" the bacteria by taking one bacterium at a time within themselves and breaking it down. Once each neutrophil has taken a few bacteria within itself, it dies."

'what they may not eat."' = 'what they may not "eat".'

"to get to the ." = ?? [maybe the source of infection?]

"however neutrophil's can't get in" = "however neutrophils can't get in"

"Let us assume, the bacteria didn't inhibit" = "Let us assume the bacteria didn't inhibit"

"would recognise a protien" = "would recognise a protein"

"Virus's get inside your body" = "Viruses get inside your body"

---

RhoMuNuQ {Still wielding that fine tooth comb }

just an aside, z: do you think that

'the war on bacteria and viruses, a relatively brief guide to your immune system' would look a little better as

'the war on bacteria and viruses: a relatively brief guide to your immune system', seeing as they are two slightly different things?

minor bits, really...

bacteria:

1. par 2: typo. briefly, not briefy.

2. instead of 'Bacteria are living things made up of one cell, there are a lot smaller than even one of our cells, they are about 10 times smaller than one of our cells, just a few micrometers', why not 'bacteria are single-celled living things, and they are much smaller than a human cell (about 10 times smaller)' or the like? the repetition makes it sound you cut and pasted and forgot to read through it again. and then, having said single-celled, you wouldn't have to continue by saying they're unicellular (which sounds like a much bigger word anyway). para 2 of 'bacteria' is a tedious repetition. why not condense it to...

"Bacteria have been living on this planet long before mankind came along, and are in a way our ancestors. [you might want to put a ref to lynn margulis later...] They are single-celled living things, and are much smaller than a human cell (about 10 times smaller). A bacterial cell has no nucleus, and it has a significantly different chemistry, and are thus targeted by antibiotic drugs." oops, too many 'ands'. well, you get the idea

then you could follow it up with your 'Like other cells, a bacterium reproduces itself by cell-division - [which is to say] it duplicates itself. In addition, bacteria can also exchange genetic information with other bacteria [this is called bacterial sex - you might want to put this in!!!], which is why some bacteria [can become resistant to many drugs simultaneously]. [However,] Most bacteria are completely harmless, your skin is covered by them as are most surfaces, [and] some are even useful to you.

viruses:

3. re protein cask - we normally call it 'protein coat'. oh and 'it is composed of genetic information...' may sound better than 'it is composed of its genetic information...'? you may also want to add after that bit about the cell getting ruined, that viruses who hijack the cell's replication mechanism usually kill it after they're done by bursting the cell... icky...

4. i have not actually heard of any viruses that do *not* attack cells, but i still have much to learn...

5. maybe it's better to separate 'prion' and 'protein' and just call them prions, and then in brackets put 'infectious proteins'. saying 'prion proteins' is akin to saying 'the sierra mountain ranges'. and they don't have to be capitalized.

6. what about, "In this entry [b]acteria and viruses are referred to as pathogens [this means they can cause damage to the body]. Each pathogen has antigens, which are specific features that provoke the immune system to respond [or retaliate? you choose]."

First of all they...

7. might i suggest: "The best way [to avoid getting] infected by bacteria or a virus is [to prevent it from entering] your body in the first place."?

8. para 1 still... it's 'severe', not 'sever'.

9. 'If a pathogen can't get in through etc etc' what if you revised it to: "However, broken skin is not the only route of entry for persistent pathogens. For example, bacteria can get into your body by way of your digestive tract. Many can be found in food. Although most of them can be killed [if you cook the food thoroughly], [pathogens on your hand, plate or cutlery may be transferred to your mouth when you eat]."

10. re: bowels - if all those harmless bacteria were using all the nutrients, they would be harmful because there would be none left for you! it would be better to leave it as "The bowel is lined with harmless bacteria, which take up most of the space and thus make it difficult for the harmful bacteria to gain a foothold there."

11. re: flowing liquid - you might also want to add that mucous serves to trap these pathogens - which is why you should *swallow* your phlegm instead of hawk it out onto the sidewalk. (gross, but for the best)

12. neutrophil section might need a sub-subheading, like your complement section. "The Neutrophils are the cells in your body that kill most bacteria that live outside of your cells [by] phagocytosing the bacteria. Phagocytosis is process where they "eat" bacteria, [and break them down inside]."

13. 'Neutrophils fight bacteria in your tissue'... hold on! didn't you just say neutrophils fight bacteria that live outside your cells?

14. it's 'sites of infection', not 'sights of infection'.

the complement system

15. you may want to start this section by briefly mentioning the complement cascade as a defense mechanism. *then* go into what they are.

16. the components of the cascade should have a different type of subheading to avoid confusion. may i suggest using the simple bold tag?

17. 'They cause blood vessels in the area around the infection to dilate, and become more permable, so it is easier for white blood cells, (mast cells, neutrophils, T cells, B cells) to get to the' where? you missed something here. also,

'Some of the chemicals attract more neutrophils to be attracted to the area'... surely you meant, "some of the chemicals attract more neutrophils to the area"?

once the neutrophils arrive

18. "imminent" (para 1)

19. instead of mentioning in two paragraphs that neutrophils are like bumble bees and start to die after x massacres, why not lump it in one paragraph? hey, the second para is a repeat of the first!!!

ok i'm going to post this before i accidentally lose it, and then i'll get back to all this...

hope you don't mind my being a busybody like this and all - it's just that i think this is a really good article, and that all it needs is some polishing...

back to work...

once the macrophage has arrived

1. 'These receptors are manufactured at random, and the ones that, by coincidence, would recognise a protien in a healthy cell of your body are destroyed...' er, either your sentence structure is faulty, or you are missing something. in any event, may i suggest you reword this?

2. 'All T cells have a receptor that recognises one particular antigen' might be more accurately worded as "each t cell has a receptor that recognises a particular antigen"

3. re: b cells- you might want to mention some of the b cells forming 'memory cells'. this is so that if your body encounters a similar infection in the future, it does not have to begin building defence from scratch. nifty, really... oh wait, i see it. it's at the very end...

oh, and may i suggest you write a short bit to end the article? it's good, really (the article), but it sounds a bit hanging with nothing to end it...

hope i have been of help. will get back to you if i spot any more bugs. cheers!

everyone I think that this is the most attention an artilice has had once it's been in PR unfortunaly r/l got the way last week so I wasn't taking the time I should have done to do edits..

but I have the time now and r/l is being kinder to me! so here it is a major rewrite done, I cut and pasted all of your points into a word fild and deleted them once I'd covered them..

Ta a lot for all your help.

Z

One more comment...

"In addition to that, bacteria can also exchange genetic information with other bacteria2, which is why some bacteria become drug resistant" -- you might like to add another footnote/sentence to explain exactly why they become drug resistant (random mutations, sometimes beneficial, perhaps linking to A673319)

RhoMuNuQ

Thanks, I've done that now!

Great!

RhoMuNuQ

Come on there must be something else for someone to pick on here...

Some more suggestions:

"In addition to that, bacteria can also exchange genetic information with other bacteria,2, this allowed mutations which increase a bacterias' chance of survival becoming widespread, so bacteria can evolve to become drug resistant" = "In addition to that, bacteria can also exchange genetic information with other bacteria.2 This allows mutations which increase an individual bacterium's chance of survival and replication. In this way, bacteria can evolve to become drug resistant"

"Most bacteria are completely harmless, most surfaces, including your skin are covered by them as are most surfaces, some are even useful to you." = "Most bacteria are completely harmless. Most surfaces, including your skin, are covered by them and some are even useful to you."

"Usually a virus killes it's host cell once it's used it for it's own purposes, but bursting it." = "Usually a virus kills its host cell, once it's used it for its own purposes, by bursting it."

"All Viruses attack cells, most virus attack a specic type of cell, though some are more versitle than others, for instance the HIV virus often, but not always attacks T cells, part of your immune system, some others known as Bacteriophages always attack specfic types of bacteria." = "All viruses attack cells but most viruses attack a specic type of cell. Some are more versatile than others - for instance the HIV virus often attacks T cells (part of your immune system). Some others known as bacteriophages attack specfic types of bacteria."

"In this entry bacteria and viruses are referred to as pathogens4 each pathogen has antigens, which are specific feature, usually a protein on it's hull, which the immune system responds to, these features are called antigens.." = "In this entry, bacteria and viruses are referred to as pathogens4. Each pathogen has antigens, which are specific features. These are usually proteins on its surface which the immune system can respond to."

"(so it is easier for all the cells that fight disease to get to the site of infection) to get to the ." = ???

"other phagocytic cells3.." = "other phagocytic cells."

"C5bjoins up" = "C5b joins up"

"sprining into action" = "springing into action"

"A number of singalling chemicaals" = "A number of signalling chemicals"

"the body has it's own" = "the body has its own"

"A neutrophil will engulf, or ingests" = "A neutrophil will engulf, or ingest,"

"signalize" = "signalise"

"imanant" = "imminent"

"abcess" = "abscess"

"however neutrophil's can't get in." = "however neutrophils also can't get in."

"specialization" = "specialisation"

"recognize" = "recognise"

"Each T cell ha a receptor" = "Each T cell has a receptor"

"When a T cell that has met a macrophage that has "its antigen" in its MHC then it goes looking for a B cell that has a receptor for the same antigen as it's self." = "When a T cell has met a macrophage that has "its antigen" in its MHC, it goes looking for a B cell that has a receptor for the same antigen as itself."

"to make more copies of it's self" = "to make more copies of itself"

"Once you have killed all the bacteria or all the virus" = "Once you have killed all the bacteria or all the viruses"

======

When you're editing the entry, make sure not to delete the footnotes! I've left them in the suggestions I made as numbers.

RhoMuNuQ {Still waving around that fine tooth comb }

Phew I think this is the worst artlice I've ever submitted for Peer Review! I've changed everything now, apart from the last one, I think it's correct as it is. Because viruses refer to more than one strain of virus, but you're usually only infected by one strain of virus. And that's how it's refered to in all the books...

Yes, you're right about the last one!

RhoMuNuQ

Don't worry! I see you're point, this is going to be difficult for a non scientifcally trained sub ed to do isn't it, that's assuming it gets picked in the first place.

Do you want me to read through it again, in case we missed anything?

RhoMuNuQ

yes that would be great, to be honest I've looked at the darned thing so much I can't see any mistakes any more!

No problem! I'll take a read through it in the next few minutes...

RhoMuNuQ