Chapter 8 Flashcards
What is evolution in the context of a virus?
A change in the genetic composition of a DNA or RNA virus population over time, irrespective of the time frame involved
What is positive selection?
a change that confers an increase in fitness
What is negative selection?
a change that confers a decrease in fitness
What is neutral selection?
a change that has no positive or negative effect on fitness
What does selection act on?
the population, not the individual genotype
What are viruses selected for?
the ability to spread within an infected host and among individuals in the population
What do viruses exert selective pressure on?
host populations
When does a large number of viral mutations arise?
when viral genomes replicate
How often do RNA virus mutations occur?
1 in 10,000 to 100,000
Error rate for RNA viruses are a ______ fold greater tan rate of host genome.
million
Error rate for RNA viruses are equivalent to _ mutation for every _ -_ genomes.
1, 1-10
How often do DNA virus mutations occur?
3 for every 1,000,000 - 10,000,000
What DNA viruses are more error prone?
small single-stranded viruses
What is a quasispecies?
a virus population
Ocassionally, even the most ___ genotype in a population may become the most predominant after a single selective event.
rare