L9: Introduction to Virology Flashcards
Are viruses living?
No
Define virus?
Obligate intracellular parasite lacking capacity to make energy or substrates
Can viruses be replicated outside of a cell?
No
Replication occurs how in viruses?
Assembly of parts, NOT binary fission
What is a defective virus?
Genetic mutation that prevents replication without a helper virus?
What is a pseudovirus?
Has host DNA in capsid instead of viral nucleic acid?
Pseudoviruses play a role in what bacterial genetic transfer?
General transduction (Bacteriophage)
What is a viroid?
Single circular RNA without a capsid
What do viroids usually attack?
Plants
90% of viruses are which of the three types?
Defective
What is the origin of viruses?
unknown
How is a virus structured?
Nucleic acid (RNA or DNA) surrounded by a protein coat
Protein coat of viruses is called what?
capsid
Viruses can only be seen under what?
EM
The nucleic acid of viruses can be what?
- DNA (3.2kb to 375kb)
2. RNA (7 to 30kb)
Are viruses haploid or diploid
Haploid except for retroviruses that are diploid
The capsid is made up of what?
Capsomeres making pentamers and hexons
What gives virus its shape?
Capsid (number of hexons and pentamers)
Capsomeres need what to assemble into larger units?
Nothing, self assemble
The capsid can assemble how?
- Around nucleic acid
2. Form empty structure into which the nucleic acid is loaded
Capsids are resistant to what? 4
- drying
- acid
- detergents
- bile
Protein coat + nucleic acid inside = what?
Nucleocapsid
Do all viruses have lipid envelopes?
No, just some
The envelope is acquired how?
Host cell membrane through budding.