Grayheart wrote:
2. The virus is a kind of retrovirus - like the HIV-Virus - and has its own 'reverse transcriptase' (hopefully this is the right word) that rewrites the genetical structure of the host.
Some DNA viruses can rewrite their hosts' genome, too.
All viruses that can alter their hosts' genome do so by inserting the entirety of their own genome into their hosts' genome, so that the host can begin producing more virus later, or that the host's progeny may produce viruses at some other time. Some viruses, like those that induce tumors, have genes that, when expressed by the host, cause cancer or tumors.
Grayheart wrote:
So far, so good. But this was only the first step to me, because this caused a lot of more questions to me:
3. A werewolf changes between two different genetical structures - maybe more - How is this process initiated? (leads to next question with immanent answer) ->
4. Werewolves change - in the popular opinion - when the moon is full or if they are under pressure. Why? How do these things initiate the change?
Answer to 4.: There has to be a second factor that is linked to the werewolf-virus. -> 5. What factor is it?
Then I looked at the function of certain hormones. A special hormone - like adrenaline - causes certain reactions. According to this the virus - in my imagination - has to have certain characteristics that resemble the characteristics of hormones.
If this is the 'truth' than the werewolf-virus would be a hormone-like virus or a virus-like hormone, that is produced by the werewolf under certain circumstances -like the full moon or when he or she is really pissed off.
The next problem with that was, that a virus like the HIV changes the genetical structure only in ONE direction. Therefore there have to be at least two different versions of the werewolf-hormone-virus. One, that changes the human to the wolf, and one that changes the wolf to human.
Hopefully I was able to make clear what I'm talking about ...
I would think that a werewolf has the same (altered) genes in any form.
On the other hand, it sounds perfectly logical for infected cells to produce a hormone, or more likely, a series of hormones that induce the transformation into a werewolf.
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-Calculon