Each of these spikes is encoding gene segment, an antigenic glycoprotein, is responsible for penetrations and attaching to the infected cell. Additionally, the surface of this ball has some cylinders, called neuraminidase, act as the connecting port to transmit the internal codes into the cells of victim. Beneath this surface is a complex matrix of encoding genes, containing six segments: M, NP, NS, PA, PB1, PB2 – said in The Threat of Pandemic Influenza (2006). [2] These strands take the role to code victims cell's compounds, from nucleprotein to polymerase. But I won't go much in detail about each of these genes, saving for the following part. Besides sharing almost the same structure, Influenza viruses also have the same process in approaching victims. Influenza viruses are type which can be carried in the air, and can remain for one week in normal temperature. Through the infected vectors such as swine, birds, human, viruses are brought inside the other's body and make it their host. Since viruses aren't even cell themselves, to survive they need to attack host's cell, breaking through the membrane to transmit their core genome. Afterward, virus's gene strands through encoding process will replicate themselves by using the host's protein as material. From few numbers of virus at the beginning, they can multiply to billions and propagate in whole body of the host. Then this host becomes another infected vectors, rapidly spreads the virus to another one by coughing or sneezing. That is a normal life cycle of the virus. However, what makes a virus deadly dangerous is the ability to adapt existed genes and recombine them to create a new genome. This process is mutation. Among the RNA viruses, Influenza family has extremely high mutation rate, and that's what leads to the flu pandemics around the world. That's overall traits of Influenza origin, however it's descendants have never stopped evolving.
