I am not alive. I am not dead.

You have called us prions.

Pronounced “pree-ons”.

I am going to talk about a special prion, that is…me.

I am a prion because I am protein material and I am infectious.

Infectious not in the sense that I cause those disgusting diseases like bacteria, fungi, parasites or viruses do. No. Infectious because I can propagate within you and harm you. Sooo sooorry…And I can pass from one of you…to another of you.

I do these things so well that you once thought I was a virus…

Aargh.

In fact, I am

you.

You see, you are made of many molecules, including many proteins.