system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
How is a cold virus able to target specific areas of the body, ie the throat?
gpt
There are many, very different types of cold viruses, and each of them bind to different receptors found on cells in various locations (including the throat).

For example rhinoviruses bind ICAM1, adenoviruses bind CAR, coronaviruses bind ACE2, infuenza viruses bind sialic acid, etc.

Different cells will have different levels of those receptors (and they are not only found in the respiratory tract) as they have actual functions in the body, the viruses are just hijacking them. But a cell lacking those receptors or another species with different enough receptors cant be infected.