Characterizing / Classifying Viruses, Viroids, and Prions Flashcards
Why are viruses known as acellular infectious agents?
They have no cytoplasmic membrane, cytosol, or functional organelles
Which characteristics of life do viruses lack? (4)
- Growth
- Reproduction
- Responsiveness
- Metabolism
What term is used to refer to a virus in its complete or extracellular form?
Virion
What is the minimum basic structure / organization of all viruses?
Capsids
What are capsids?
Protein coats made of capsomeres surrounding a nucleic acid core
What are capsomeres?
Outer subunit of a capsid
What are nucleocapsids?
Nucleic acids and their capsids
What is a viral envelope?
Phospholipid membranes surrounding the nucleocapsid of a virion
What are the 2 functions imparted by the outermost layer of a virion?
- Protection
- Host-pathogen specificity
Name the 4 different kinds of viral genomes
- Single-stranded RNA (ssRNA)
- Single-stranded DNA (ssDNA)
- Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)
- Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)
Are viral genomes typically larger or smaller than cellular genomes?
Smaller
What kinds of organisms are susceptible to viral attack?
All types of organisms
______ are viruses that infect bacteria
Bacteriophages
Are viruses bigger or smaller than bacteria?
Smaller
Virus is latin for ______
Poison
Capsomeres that spiral around the nucleic acid are called ______
Helical viruses
Describe the shape of helical viruses
Tube-like structure
Describe the shape of polyhedral viruses
Spherical dome shape
Describe the shape of complex viruses
Capsids of many different shapes
Describe icosahedral heads
Genome attached to helical tails
______ refers to an outer membrane of a virus that is similar in composition to a cell membrane
Envelope
______ refers to a virus that possesses an envelope
Enveloped virions
______ refers to a virus that does not possess an envelope
Nonenveloped / naked virions
What is the viral envelope composed of?
Phospholipid bilayer and embedded proteins
From where is the envelope of a virus acquired?
From the host cell during replication
Where on an enveloped virus are virally encoded glycoproteins or ‘spikes’ found?
Protruding outward from the envelope’s surface
What role do viral spike proteins play in the life cycle of the virus?
The virion’s recognition of host cells