Chapter 6 Exam 3 Flashcards
What are the two ways that viruses can exist?
extracellularly or intracellularly
Describe extracellular viruses.
exist in an inactive state because they possess very few enzymes and cannot reproduce outside of living cells.
Describe intracellular viruses.
exists as replicating nucleic acids that induce the host to synthesize viral components from which progeny irions are assembled and eventually released.
What are bacteriophages?
viruses that affect bacteria.
What is a virion?
a complete virus particle
What is the size range of virions?
10-400nm
Describe nucleocapsids.
surround the simplest virions.
composed of a nucleic acid and a protein coat called the capsid.
What are protomers?
capsid proteins.
What are the three types of capsid symmetry?
helical
icosahedral
complex
What are enveloped viruses?
viruses with virions having an envelope.
What are nonenveloped viruses?
viruses lacking an envelope.
Describe helical capsids.
shaped like hollow tubes with protein walls.
the arrangement produces a rigid tube.
encloses an RNA genome, which is wound in a spiral and lies within a groove formed by the protein subunits.
What is the size of a helical capsid influenced by?
protomers and the nucleic acid enclosed within the capsid.
Describe icosahedral capsids.
regular polyhedron with 20 equilateral triangular faces.
Most efficient way to enclose a space.
constructed from capsomers.
What are capsomers?
ring or knob shaped units made of five or six protomers.
Describe complex symmetry.
virus structures that do not conform to the helical or icosahedral shape.
What is binal symmetry?
the symmetry of a virus that has both helical and icosahedral shape.
What is an envelope?
an outer membranous layer that usually arises from the plasma or nuclear membranes of the host cell.
Where are envelope lipids and carbohydrates acquired from?
the host.
Describe spikes.
envelope proteins that project from the envelope surface.
involved in virion attachment to the host cell surface.
can be used to identify specific viruses.
What is neuraminidase?
Functions in the release of mature visions from the host cell.
Contained in certain spikes.
What are hemagglutinin proteins?
Spikes that bind visions to red blood cells and cause hemagglutination.
What are the four types of nucleic acid that can make up viruses?
Double stranded DNA, single stranded DNA, single stranded RNA and double stranded RNA
Which types of nucleic acids are used by animal viruses?
dsDNA, ssDNA, dsRNA, ssRNA
Which types of nucleic acids are used by plant viruses?
ssRNA
Which types of nucleic acids are used by bacterial viruses?
dsDNA
What are segmented genomes?
genomes that consist of more than one piece of RNA.
Present in most RNA genomes.
What is the first step in the life cycle of a virus?
attachment (adsorption) to a host.
What is adsorption followed by?
entry of either the nucleocapsid or the viral nucleic acid into the host.
What happens if the nucleocapsid enters the host?
uncoating of the genome usually occurs before the life cycle continues.
What happens once the nucleocapsid enters the host?
the synthesis stage begins. viral genes are transcribed and translated.
What happens after the synthesis stage occurs?
the assembly stage. new nucleocapsids are constructed by self-assembly of coat proteins with the nucleic acids.
What is the release step?
mature virions escape the host.
How is attachment to the host accomplished?
specific interactions between molecules on the surface of the virion and molecules on the surface of the host cell called receptors.
What happens when an animal virus particle attaches to a receptor?
causes conformational changes in virion proteins that facilitate interaction with secondary receptors, entry into the cell, and uncoating.
What does receptor specificity account for?
the observation that animal viruses infect specific animals and in some cases, only particular tissues of that animal.
Describe eukaryotic cell membrane receptors.
have microdomains called lipid rafts that are thought to be involved in both virion entrance and assembly.