Viruses

Question 1

Why are viruses acellular?

Answer 1

Not made of cells
So small that they cannot be seen through a light microscope

Question 2

What happens due to viruses not having organelles, enzymes, chromosomes or cytoplasm?

Answer 2

No ribosomes = unable to carry out protein synthesis
No enzymes = cannot replicate nucleic acid
Unable to reproduce

Question 3

Where do viruses reproduce?

Answer 3

Inside a host cell
Hijack the host cell’s metabolism
E.g. using the host cell’s organelles and enzymes

Question 4

What are viruses made up of?

Answer 4

Nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat (the capsid)
Some viruses have DNA while others contain RNA

Question 5

What are bacteriophages?

Answer 5

Viruses that attack bacteria

Question 6

What can viruses be transmitted by?

Answer 6

Aerosol
Insect vectors
Exchange of bodily fluids
Bites

Question 7

What infectious diseases do viruses cause to humans?

Answer 7

Flu
Chicken pox
HIV
Mumps
Rubella
Ebola

Question 8

What infectious diseases do viruses cause to plants?

Answer 8

Tobacco mosaic virus

Question 9

What infectious diseases do viruses cause to birds?

Answer 9

Avian flu

Question 10

What infectious diseases do viruses cause to other mammals?

Answer 10

Swine flu
Cow pox
Feline leukaemia virus