Viruses and Cells Flashcards
(40 cards)
What are the steps followed in Bacteriophage Reproduction?
- They attach to the Bacterial Cell using their Tail Fibers
- DNA is injected into the Bacterium
- Phage DNA and proteins are made
- New Phages are Assembled
- The Bacterium lyses (splits) and the new Viruses are released
Why are Viruses considered by many Scientist to be Non-Living?
They lack a Cellular Structure and can only carry out one of the characteristics of life which is Reproduction
What are the Two types of Viruses we study?
Bacteriophages and Retroviruses
What is the Host Cell required for Bacteriophages (Phages) to reproduce?
A Bacterium
What type of Virus is HIV an example of?
A Retrovirus
What does HIV stand for?
Human Immunodeficiency Virus
What Host Cell does the HIV virus target?
The Helper-T Lymphocyte
What effects does HIV have on a sufferer’s Immune System?
The Immune System is weakened and the individual is left susceptible to opportunistic infections
What Enzyme does the HIV virus require and why does it need it?
Reverse Transcriptase, it needs this to convert its RNA to DNA
What are the Similarities between Bacteriophages and HIV?
- Very small
- Essentially Non-Cellular
- Contain Genetic material within a protein coat
What are the Differences between Bacteriophages and HIV?
- Different Shapes (and Phages have tail fibers attached to a base plate, which are important in attaching the virus to bacterial cells)
- In HIV the protein coat/head is within a Phospholipid bilayer (no lipid bilayer in Phages)
- Glycoproteins are present in HIV but not in Phages
- Bacteriophages normally contain DNA while HIV contains RNA
- HIV contains Reverse Transcriptase (normally not present in Phages)
What are the Advantages of the Light Microscope?
- Living material can be observed
- Natural colour of the specimen can be observed
- Biological processes can be observed
What are the Disadvantages of the Light Microscope?
- The Maximum magnification is approx. x2000
What are the Advantages of the Electron Microscope?
- Magnifies the object up to x500,000
- Far greater resolution
What are the Disadvantages of the Electron Microscope?
- Only dead material can be observed
- Images are in black and white (any colour is added after “False Colour”)
- Lots of preparation is required which can cause “Artefacts”
What are the two types of Electron Microscope?
Transmission EM and Scanning EM
Describe Transmission EMs
- Electrons pass through a very thin specimen
- Images have high resolution
- Produces images with very high magnifications
Describe Scanning EMs
- Electrons bounce off the surface of the image
- Lower resolution and magnification
- Produces a 3D image of the surface
Describe Prokaryotic Cells
- No nuclei
- No membrane bound organelles
- DNA is circular
- DNA is naked
- Ribosomes are smaller than those found in Eukaryotic cells
- Plasmids are often present
- Cell wall is made of Peptidoglycan
- No microtubules
Describe Eukaryotic Cells
- Possess a nucleus
- Possess membrane bound organelles
- Have Chromosomes (DNA in a helix)
- Chromosomes contain a protein called Histone
Describe the Cell Structure of Plant Cells
- Cellulose cell wall which is fully permeable
- Chloroplasts for Photosynthesis
- Large permanent vacuole which is important in turgor support
- Cells joined by middle lamella - made up of calcium pectate
- Store starch
- No lysosomes or centrioles
Describe the Cell Structure of Animal Cells
- Never has a cell wall
- No Chloroplasts so no photosynthesis
- Small temporary vacuoles
- Possess centrioles which are used in nuclear division
- Store Glycogen
- Have Lysosomes and centrioles
Describe the Cell Structure of Fungal Cells
- Chitin cell wall
- No Chloroplasts so no photosynthesis
- Possess vacuoles
- Cells often multinucleate as new cell walls don’t always want to form
- Store Glycogen
- Have lysosomes
What are Plasma Membranes and what do they do?
- The boundary of the cell with the outside world
- The boundary of the organelle with the cytoplasm
- They contribute to the structure of organelles within the cell