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Clinical Research: Barley Grass Supports Cardiovascular Function

Bob Terry, PhD

OXNARD, CA, May 9, 2003 – People who regularly consume powdered organic barley grass juice supplements could be providing a boost to their cardiovascular system, according to research recently published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Diabetes and Metabolism (2002, Vol. 28, 107-114).

Ya-Mei Yu and Chingmin E. Tsai from Fu Jen University in Taipei together with fellow Taiwanese researchers from China Medical College in Taichung found in a clinical study that supplementation with barley grass helped reduce the levels of cholesterol and oxygen free-radicals in the blood of type 2 diabetics.

In the study, 36 randomly selected type 2 diabetics were randomly assigned to receive daily supplements of barley grass, a combination of vitamin C and E or a combination of barley grass and vitamins C and E for four weeks. Past research has indicated that antioxidants vitamin C and E when taken together may promote cardiovascular function.

The researchers found that supplementation with barley grass reduced the levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and oxygen free-radicals, in addition to protecting LDL-vitamin E content and inhibiting LDL oxidation. The authors noted that barley grass “acts as a free radical scavenger.” Particularly noteworthy are the data showing barley grass, when taken with vitamins C and E, more effectively lowers the level of free radicals than either barley grass or the vitamins when taken alone. The researchers concluded that supplementation with barley grass in combination with antioxidative vitamins may have a protective effect and promote healthy cardiovascular function.

The results of ongoing clinical studies appear to support and extend the findings that barley grass supplementation may lower blood levels of cholesterol and free radicals.

“For individuals concerned about their cardiovascular health, this study indicates that they would be well advised to focus on a diet with lots of green foods, particularly organic barley grass.” said Dr. Richard M. Gold, Ph.D., L.Ac., author and Professor at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine.

YH Products Co. of Oxnard, California provided the barley grass supplements for this study. YH Products Co. manufactures Green Magma (distributed by Green Foods Corporation). Green Magma is made with powdered organic barley grass juice, containing vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, proteins, active enzymes and chlorophyll.

Clinical Research: Green Magma Helps Lower LDL Oxidation and Free Radical Activity in the Blood, and Supports Normal Levels of Cholesterol

Bob Terry, PhD

(August 16, 2005) In the last twenty-five years researchers have published a number of in vitro and in vivo laboratory studies demonstrating that Green Magma and its constituents exhibit potent antioxidant activity, cleansing actions, and cardiovascular support properties. In addition, a series of clinical studies have been published showing evidence that Green Magma provides support for the cardiovascular system in both healthy individuals in those with blood sugar or blood lipid concerns.

Clinical studies performed since 2002 by Dr. Ching-Min Tsai from the Graduate Institute of Nutrition and Food Science at Fu Jen University and the Department of Bioscience Technology at Chung Yuan University (both in Taipei, Taiwan) and colleagues have demonstrated that dietary changes including daily supplementation with Green Magma may provide several important benefits for cardiovascular function.

Normal blood flow through our bodies is essential for optimal health. While dietary, lifestyle, and genetic factors all play a role in cardiovascular function, dietary changes may offer a relatively convenient means of promoting cardiovascular function, normal blood flow, and enhanced quality of life.

I. Support for Normal Cholesterol Levels and Inhibition of LDL Oxidation with a Diet Rich in Poly- or Mono-unsaturated Fatty Acids and Barley Grass Juice Powder.

Liu WC, Tsai CE. Young Barley Leaf Prevents LDL Oxidation in Humans. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry [published by The Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology] Vol. 4 (3): 110-116 (2002).

SUMMARY: The results show that daily consumption of a diet rich in poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) from soybean oil reduces serum total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C, but not the level of LDL oxidation. Adding barley grass juice powder to the soybean oil-enriched diet enhances its cholesterol-lowering effect and lowers LDL oxidation. While mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) from olive oil had no effect on total serum cholesterol, LDL-C or HDL-C, MUFA lowered the oxidation of LDL and this effect was enhanced by the addition of barley grass juice powder. Therefore, together with a diet rich in poly- or mono-unsaturated fatty acids, 15 g of barley grass juice powder per day as part of the diet may help support cardiovascular activity by promoting normal cholesterol levels and reducing the oxidation of LDL.

II. LDL Cholesterol and LDL Oxidation Reduced in Type 2 Diabetic Patients Receiving an Olive Oil-enriched Diet Supplemented with Barley Grass Juice.

Yu YM and Tsai CE. LDL cholesterol and oxidation are significantly reduced in type 2 diabetic patients receiving a barley leaf essence supplemented olive oil diet. Food Science and Agricultural Chemistry [published by The Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology] Vol. 5 (1): 1-6 (2003).

SUMMARY: An intake of olive oil together with a dietary supplement of young barley grass juice may be useful as part of the nutritional management of patients with type 2 diabetes since it increases the monounsaturated fatty acid composition of LDL, decreases whole blood free radical activities, increases the vitamin E content of LDL, and reduces the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation.

III. Barley Grass Juice Powder, Alone or in Combination with Vitamins C and E, Lowers Free Radical Activity and Inhibits LDL Oxidation in Type 2 Diabetes.

Yu YM, Chang WC, Chang CT, Hsieh CL, and Tsai CE. Effects of barley leaf extract and antioxidative vitamins on LDL oxidation and free radical scavenging activities in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Metab Vol. 28 (2): 107-114 (2002).

SUMMARY: The results indicate that supplementation with barley grass juice may help to lower cholesterol, scavenge oxygen free radicals, spare the LDL-vitamin E content, and inhibit LDL oxidation. Furthermore, there appears to be a synergistic inhibition of small, dense-LDL oxidation with the combination of barley grass juice and vitamins C and E, an effect that may promote good vascular function.

IV. Barley Grass Juice or Adlay Reduces Plasma Lipids and LDL Oxidation in Hyperlipidemic Smokers and Non-Smokers.

Yu YM, Chang WC, Liu CS and Tsai CM. Effects of young barley leaf extract and adlay on plasma lipids and LDL oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers. Biol. Pharm. Bull. Vol. 27 (6): 802-805 (2004).

SUMMARY: Supplementation with either BL or adlay can decrease total and LDL cholesterol as well as susceptibility of LDL-C to oxidation in hyperlipidemic smokers and non-smokers. Barley leaf extract (barley grass juice) had a stronger antioxidative effect than adlay and the effects of either BL or adlay are less pronounced in smokers

Note: The barley grass juice powder (referred to as “barley leaf essence”, “barley leaf extract”, or “barley leaf”) used in all four of the studies described was provided by YH Products, the manufacturing division of Green Foods Corporation, located in Oxnard, California.

Barley Grass Neutralizes Pesticides In Vitro

Bob Terry, PhD

Health conscious consumers today are looking for more than wholesome, nutritious food to maintain good health, they also want to avoid the ever-increasing levels of pesticides and other chemicals in our environment. While periodic use of internal cleansing programs may help to eliminate pesticide residues, the best solution is to gently cleanse our bodies every day through our diet. Therefore, optimal nutrition requires foods that supply us with all the nutrients necessary for cellular metabolism and that also help us cleanse our bodies daily.

In 1978, Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara revealed the ability of our barley grass extract Green Magma to degrade an insecticide (malathion), and two chemical food additives (sorbic acid and BHT) [1] when mixed directly with these substances in an aqueous solution. Heating Green Magma caused it to lose its ability to breakdown either malathion or sorbic acid indicating that enzyme activity in Green Magma may be responsible for its actions. However, heat treatment does not affect Green Magma’s ability to degrade BHT, which led Dr. Hagiwara to suggest that the BHT molecule may be adsorbed onto proteins in Green Magma rather being metabolized through enzyme activity. The following year, Dr. Hagiwara and colleagues reported that barley grass juice contained numerous enzymes including superoxide dismutase, cytochrome oxidase, peroxidase, catalase, fatty acid oxidase, and transhydrogenase [2] some of which may play a role in neutralizing pesticides and chemical additives in the body.

In the 1990’s, Dr. Shibamoto and Dr. Hagiwara isolated, identified, and studied the properties of a potent bioflavonoid antioxidant, named glycosylisovitexin (GIV), in young barley grass [3]. They showed that GIV was particularly effective in preventing the free radical oxidation of fatty acids, fish oils, and lecithin caused by ultraviolet light or by chemically induced oxidative reactions in blood [4]. GIV was also found to be effective in preventing the formation of two oxidation products of alcohol, acetaldehyde and malonaldehyde [5]. These two substances may be responsible for some of the unwanted effects of alcohol consumption.

Subsequent research published by Dr. Shibamoto along with Dr. Hagiwara and colleagues, demonstrated that young barley grass juice effectively degraded a variety of organophosphorus pesticides in vitro including malathion, chlorpyrifos, guthion, diazinon, methidathion, and parathion [6]. Incubation of the individual pesticides with a 3% solution of barley grass juice for several hours resulted in the complete degradation of both malathion and chlorpyrifos along with breakdown of parathion by 75%; diazinon by 54%; guthion by 41%; and methidathion by 23%. They also confirmed Dr. Hagiwara’s previous finding that barley grass juice’s ability to break down malathion is lost when barley grass is heated to 120O C, most likely due to destruction of enzyme activity by heat. Further research is necessary to understand the manner in which barley grass juice degrades pesticides.

Dr. Shibamoto and colleagues are continuing their research on the possible ways in which organic Green Magma may help us cleanse our bodies in a natural and effective manner.

In summary, research is helping to better understand why Green Magma provides the many benefits that thousands of regular consumers of Green Magma already know about — increased energy levels, improved digestion, better looking hair, skin and nails – all indications of good nutrition.

References:

1. Hagiwara, Y. Study on green juice powder of young barley (Hordeum vulgare L) leaves II: Effect on several food additives, agricultural chemicals, and a carcinogen. Presented at the 98th National Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Science (1978).
2. Hagiwara, Y., Sayuki, S., Miyauchi, T., Otake,H., Abe, S., Kuramoto, M., and Takada, K. Study on green barley extract. Presented at the 99th National Meeting of the Japanese Society of Pharmaceutical Science, Sapporo (1979).
3. Osawa, T., Katsuzaki, H., Hagiwara, Y., and Shibamoto, T. A novel antioxidant isolated from young green barley leaves. 1992, J. of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 40 (7): 1135-1138.
4. Miyake, T. and Shibamoto, T. Inhibition of Malonaldehyde and acetaldehyde formation from blood plasma oxidation by naturally occurring antioxidants. 1998, J. of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 46 (9): 1135-1138.
5. Nakajima, S., Hagiwara, Y., Hagiwara, H., and Shibamoto, T. Effect of the Antioxidant 2″-O-Glycosylisovitexin from young green barley leaves on acetaldehyde formation in beer stored at 50 degree C for 90 days. 1998, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol. 46 (4): 1529-1531.
6. Durham, J., Ogata, J., Nakajima, S., Hagiwara, Y., and Shibamoto, T. Degradation of organophosphorus pesticides in aqueous extracts of young green barley leaves (Hordeum vulgare L). 1999, J. of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Vol. 79: 1311-1314.

Reference: www.greenfoods.com

Leucine is one of the 8 essential amino acids that needs to be supplied from dietary sources.

Evidences from several studies, mostly conducted on rats, suggest that leucine is involved in protein synthesis in skeletal muscles, and can inhibit protein degradation in skeletal muscles and liver. It is also an important component of hemoglobin.

Leucine rich food sources include legumes such as soy beans and cowpea and animal products such as beef and fish. Below is a list of select food sources which contain leucine with estimates of their leucine content. The foods are ordered from high to low content.

 

Leucine food sources	Leucine content (grams/ 100 gram food)
Soybeans, mature seeds, raw	2.97
lentils, raw	2.03
cowpea, catjang, mature seeds, raw	1.83
Beef, round, top round, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8″ fat, select, raw	1.76
Beef, top sirloin, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/8″ fat, choice, raw	1.74
Peanuts, all types, raw	1.67
Salami, Italian, pork	1.63
Fish, salmon, pink, raw	1.62
Crustaceans, shrimp, mixed species, raw	1.61
Chicken, broilers or fryers, thigh, meat only, raw	1.48
Nuts, almonds	1.47
Egg, yolk, raw, fresh	1.40
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw	1.37
Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from raw and stone ground kernels	1.36
Chicken, broilers or fryers, wing, meat and skin, raw	1.29
flax seed, raw	1.24
Nuts, walnuts, english	1.17
Egg, whole, raw, fresh	1.09
Egg, white, raw, fresh	1.02
Sausage, Italian, pork, raw	0.96
Milk, sheep, fluid	0.59
Pork, fresh, separable fat, raw	0.40
Hummus	0.35
Milk, goat, fluid	0.31
Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat	0.27
Soy milk, fluid	0.24
asparagus	0.13
Snap beans, green, raw	0.11
Milk, human, mature, fluid	0.10

 

During the exercise in both trained and untrained groups, there were lower carbohydrate (CHO) and higher fat oxidation rates and contributions to total energy expenditure after the CAJ supplementation compared to the PLA supplementation (p<0.05). These values were greater in the trained group than the untrained group except CHO oxidation rates (p<0.05), which were not significantly different. Moreover, in both trained and untrained groups, resting plasma vitamin C concentrations were significantly higher after the CAJ supplementation compared to the PLA supplementation, without any change after the PLA supplementation. These values were greater in the trained group than the untrained group (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in glucose, insulin or lipid concentrations between the groups’ blood samples.

Conclusion

The findings of this study suggest that CAJ supplementation enhanced fat oxidation during exercise may enhance endurance performance, but specific studies are needed to assess this possibility.

Keywords:

Vitamin C; Leucine; Endurance; Fat oxidation rate; Athletes

Background

Carbohydrate (CHO) plays a major role as an energy source for active muscle during high-intensity exercise [1]. Moreover, the increased capacity of fat utilization is known to improve exercise capacity [2]. Therefore, an intervention which increases fat utilization may be important for endurance of athletes. Diet and exercise training are known to increase fat utilization during exercise [3]. It is not known whether this can be enhanced further by dietary supplement interventions which increase fat oxidation in untrained individuals.

Endurance training has been shown to improve fat utilization [4]. Possible mechanisms proposed by a recent study involve changes in fatty acid transport protein content in whole muscle (FAT/CD36 and FABPpm), sarcolemmal (FABPpm) and mitochondrial (FAT/CD36) membranes in female human skeletal muscles [5].

Diets containing antioxidants and branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) are reported to have potential effects on fat utilization [6,7]. The antioxidant, vitamin C is perhaps one of the most widely used vitamins in the world today. Johnston et al. [6] reported that vitamin C is important for fat oxidation. This may be due to ascorbic acid (vitamin C) being a co-factor for the biosynthesis of carnitine, a molecule required for fatty acid oxidation [8]. This may contribute to increased utilization of fatty acids in triglycerides as a fat source for muscle contraction, resulting in lower serum triglyceride levels [9]. Leucine, the most utilized BCAA, was found to enhance fat oxidation in obese animals and overweight or obese subjects [10,11]. De Araujo et al. [12] showed that supplementation with BCAAs (i.e. leucine, isoleucine, or valine) increases hepatic and muscle glycogen concentrations in exercised rats, suggesting greater fat utilization during exercise [7]. A previous study, however, reported an opposite result [13]. This discrepancy may be due to a different nutritional status, as the rats in Cheng’s study were leucine deficient whereas animals or subjects in other studies were supplemented with leucine. Cheng’s study reported that leucine deficiency increased triglyceride lipolysis, leading to increased fat mobilization via cAMP-PKA-HSL in white adipose tissue [13]. This was supported by the results of upregulation of AdrB3 expression, of AdrB3, the main isoform of β-adrenoceptors in the adipose tissue [13]. Together with the effects on energy expenditure (EE) enhancement in brown adipose tissue and lipogenesis suppression, the leucine deficiency contributed to fatty acid mobilization, resulting in increased fat loss.

Cashew apple is a product of cashew nut manufacturing. It is popularly consumed in the orm of juice which comprises many nutritional components, including vitamin C and BCAAs [14,15]. For this study it was hypothesized that cashew apple juice (CAJ) would further enhance fat oxidation during high-intensity exercise, adding to the effects of training. Therefore, the effect of CAJ supplementation on substrate utilization during high-intensity exercise in trained and untrained subjects was investigated.

 

Reference: http://www.jissn.com/content/10/1/13

Note: You can maintain an alkaline instead of acidic body cell with less meat consumption but more on veggies.
Legend: Sodium bicarbonate or NaHCO₃

Provisional Abstract/Clinical Trial: The purpose was to investigate the effects of one dose of NaHCO3 per day for five consecutive days on cycling time-to-exhaustion (Tlim) at ‘Critical Power’ (CP) and acid–base parameters in endurance athletes.

Methods

Eight trained male cyclists and triathletes completed two exercise periods in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind interventional crossover investigation. Before each period, CP was determined. Afterwards, participants completed five constant-load cycling trials at CP until volitional exhaustion on five consecutive days, either after a dose of NaHCO₃ (0.3 g.kg-1 body mass) or placebo (0.045 g.kg-1 body mass NaCl).

Results

Average Tlim increased by 23.5% with NaHCO3 supplementation as compared to placebo. However, there was no time effect for Tlim. [HCO3-] showed a main effect for condition but not for time. NaHCO3 supplementation resulted in an expansion of plasma volume relative to placebo.

Conclusions

The increase in Tlim was accompanied by an increase in [HCO3-], suggesting that acidosis might be a limiting factor for exercise at CP. Prolonged NaHCO3 supplementation did not lead to a further increase in [HCO3-] due to the concurrent elevation in plasma volume. This may explain why Tlim remained unaltered despite the prolonged NaHCO3 supplementation period. Ingestion of one single NaHCO3 dose per day before the competition during multiday competitions or tournaments might be a valuable strategy for performance enhancement.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01621074

Sweet cassava tubers (a root crop with white meat and covered with hardened skin) have abundant carbohydrates consisting of monosaccharides and polysaccharides. In addition, polysaccharides extracted from plants improve sports performance, according to recent studies. A study examined whether the administration of sweet cassava polysaccharides (SCPs) benefited endurance performance in rats.

Rats were fed with ExSCP dose of 500 mg/kg body weight by gastric intubation and glycogen content was determined in their gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (during endurance running).

Results
The running time to exhaustion of the ExSCP group was significantly longer than that of the Ex group by 49% (64 vs. 43 min). After running to exhaustion, it was seen that although the glycogen content in the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles of the Ex and ExSCP groups was lower compared to the C group, values in the ExSCP group were significantly higher than in the Ex group. In addition, blood glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) levels were significantly higher in the ExSCP than in the Ex group.

Conclusions
SCP supplementation can prolong exercise endurance in rats. Higher muscle glycogen levels and stable glucose and FFA concentrations in the circulation contributed to the prolonged time to exhaustion.

Reference:
Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2013, 10:18 doi:10.1186/1550-2783-10-18
Published: 28 March 2013

IV infusion (chelation therapy) of essential nutrients, flushing metal toxins to remove mineral-rich deposits of plaque that can cause arteries to harden in a condition known as atherosclerosis

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute — two branches of the National Institutes of Health — agreed to fund it. Researchers from 134 facilities agreed to administer a cocktail comprising disodium EDTA, vitamins and electrolytes or a placebo to 1,708 patients who were at least 50 years old and had suffered a heart attack at least six weeks earlier. The 40 infusions were spread out over more than a year.

The researchers found that chelation did reduce patients’ overall risk of heart problems, such as stroke and angina requiring hospitalization. Chelation patients’ heart attack rate was 6%, compared with 8% for those on the placebo.

Do you feel no energy, increased chronic infection, increased chronic fatigue and chronic pain.  Exposure to man-made electro magnetic radiation/waves/field (EMF) can cause brain related diseases such as autism and others.

University of Athens reported proteins are altered in the brain when exposed to EMF. The DNA manufacturing is completely altered forever when network cellphone towers are built close to the house. The night time is the most time when we are vulnerable to electrical radiation. Please turn off fuses at night to lessen the effects of body voltage. Turn off your cell phones and not sleep close to it.

http://getwellnaturalnews.com/smart-meters-emr-the-health-crisis-of-our-time-dr-dietrich-klinghardt/

In the bay area, many of the seniors in care homes, in their own homes and nursing homes are not often visited by their family members. To be at their homes alone without any social support or assistance in daily living from a caregiver or other members of the community is worse. In care homes or nursing homes, they are fed and assisted in daily living.

You can see the anticipation and smile in their faces when told that their family members are going to visit them. Social support, loving and caring circle of family, friends and community can be a potent medicine for those who are diagnosed with cancer according to many clinical studies.
Alzheimer’s disease was link to the absence of social interaction or the lifestyle of isolation from others. The brain becomes more rigid and creating more tangles (memory disconnect) with less activity derived from social interaction, reading, memory related tasks and meeting new faces and living with family members or support groups/caregivers.

Genes carrying Alzheimer’s disease are expressed when in an environment that is toxic (stress, inflammation, lack of social support/care, metals toxins, acidic body, hormonal imbalance, diseased cellular structure, lacking in essential nutrients).

Social isolation is associated with a higher risk of death in older people regardless of whether they consider themselves lonely, research suggests.
A study of 6,500 UK men and women aged over 52 found that being isolated from family and friends was linked with a 26% higher death risk over seven years. Whether or not participants felt lonely did not alter the impact of social isolation on health

Prepared by Connie Dello Buono, San Jose California, for Motherhealth Inc, caregiving for homebound bayarea seniors 408-854-1883 motherhealth@gmail.com
Part of soon to be published ebook on Senior care and Women vs Men’s health and healing

Virus enters our body in many ways but having an intact strong membranes, cellular structure is very important
There are many ways to have strong membranes and cellular structure. The colorful red and yellow colors in our fruits and veggies help create strong tissues and cells. An infection, inflammation and low immune system can be an opportunity for the virus to enter and multiply. Inflammation can be brought about by stress, low immune system and intake of toxic substances/foods/drugs/carcinogens.

Corroding cells are cells that are constantly bombarded by inflammatory substances such as allergens, stress hormones and other chemicals (not essential for life, non-essential food, molds, burned food, used cooking oil or hydrogenated/trans fats). A special newborn was not affected by HIV even when the mother carries HIV virus because the newborn cells are still healthy and intact. Below is a picture depicting the entry of virus and how it can attach to our cells in many ways.
The information below is from: http://www.rkm.com.au/virus/biology/virus-entry.html

Graphic of Viral Entry into Animal Cells: virus attachment to cell surface (adsorption) and virus entry into cell. Picture shows translocation, pore formation, receptor mediated endocytosis using clathrin coated vesicles and membrane fusion. Some viruses can use more than one strategy. Other means are also employed. The above image is 500 pixels across, the original measures 4,000 pixels across.

1. NAKED VIRUS – TRANSLOCATION: particle crosses cell membrane intact (cf Principles of Molecular Virolgy, 3rd Edition, Alan J. Cann, Academic Press p 117)

2. NAKED VIRUS – GENOME INJECTION: virus attaches to cell surface and releases its genome which penetrates the cytoplasm via a pore that has been created in the plasma membrane. (Bacteriophages, which attack bacterial cells, also inject their genomes and may use molecular “syringes” to do so, please see our diagram of T4 phages injecting).

3. NAKED VIRUS – ENDOCYTOSIS: virus attaches to cell surface receptor molecules and sinks into a clathrin coated pit. The pit invaginates and finally closes off creating a clathrin coated vesicle (drawn as a cage like sphere) and so the contained virus particle is drawn into the cytoplasm. The clathrin molecular cage soon dissociates into component triskelions (the propeller like objects) which leave a vesicle. The resulting uncoated vesicle transports the contained virion to an endosome. At some stage thereafter, the viral components are released. The virus shown in this example is an Adenovirus.

4. ENVELOPED VIRUS – ENDOCYTOSIS & MEMBRANE FUSION: virus enters cell by receptor mediated endocytosis. The cell membrane merges (fuses) with the endosome membrane and so the virus components are released. The virus shown here is an influenza virus, please see our Influenza virus life cycle illustration.

5. ENVELOPED VIRUS – MEMBRANE FUSION: virus enters the cell when its outer membrane fuses with the plasma membrane at the cell surface. The viral contents are then spilled into the cytoplasm of the cell. This example is HIV, which is unusual in having a conical core (most viral cores tend to be more spherical). Please see our HIV illustrations.

GENERAL POINTS: This diagram is only intended as an overview. The viruses are depicted to show general principles. NAKED VIRUSES have an exposed protein capsid, whilst ENVELOPED VIRUSES are cloaked in cell membrane, added during budding from the host cell. The fates of viral proteins and viral genetic material vary with the type of virus. Some viruses release their genetic material almost immediately (see entry 2) whereas others transport it to the cell nucleus still contained in a protein vehicle (see entry 5).