30-40 Flashcards
What is the term for viruses that infect bacteria
Bacteriophages
In the lytic cycle of bacteriophages, what happens after viral biosynthesis
The host cell lyses, releasing new virions
Which viral identification method detects viral nucleic acids
PCR
What is the function of reverse transcriptase in retroviruses like HIV
It converts viral RNA into DNA
What is the protein coat that surrounds a viral genome called
Capsid
What is tissue tropism
The spread of a virus through bloodstream
How do viroids differ from viruses
Viroids lack a protein coat and only infect plants
What is the defining characteristics of prions
They are composed only of infectious proteins
What disease is caused by prions
Creatzfeldt Jakob diease
What is a prophage?
A bacteriophage genome integrared into the bacterial chromosome
