Chapter 27 - Viruses

Question 1

Virus

Answer 1

Any of a group of complex biochemical entities consisting of genetic material wrapped in protein; can reproduce only within living host cells and are thus not considered organisms

Question 2

Basic structure of viruses

Answer 2

• A core of nucleic acid (single type, either DNA or RNA, genome may be linear or circular; single-stranded or double-stranded) surrounded by protein
• Lacks cytoplasm and it is not a cell

Question 3

Virion

Answer 3

A single virus particle

Question 4

Types of RNA viruses

Answer 4

• Segmented with multiple RNA molecules within a virion

- Nonsegmented with a single RNA molecule

Question 5

Classification of viruses

Answer 5

Nature of genomes

• RNA viruses
• DNA viruses
• Retroviruses

Question 6

Capsid

Answer 6

• The outermost protein covering of a virus
• Composed of one to a few different protein molecules repeated many times
• Repeating units are called capsomeres