Microbiology Flashcards
Name two of the most common waterborne viruses
Poliovirus
Rotovirus
Common characteristics of a virus
They cannot reproduce independently
They do not contain functional parts
Unresponsive to environmental changes
Why are virus’s also referred to as obligate intracellular parasites?
They need to infect a viral specific host cell. The virus relies on the host cell to replicate it.
What is a capsid?
The protein coat enclosing a virus
What is an envelope?
A secondary coat that some viruses posses
What substances form the envelope?
Lipids and proteins
What are the 3 classifications of virus?
Helical
Polyhedra
Complex
What is the classification of tube like viruses with a capsid coat that coil around a central core?
Helical
Describe the structure of polyhedral viruses?
Includes classic virus shape that looks like a dodecahedron. They have a hard shell of capsomeres
Describe a ‘Complex’ Virus
They have the geometric head but also long projections or legs
