P4 Flashcards
What are the regular shapes of most viruses?
Spherical, rod-like, spiral, and some have tails
What does a virus consist of?
A central core of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) covered by a protein coat
What are bacteriophages?
Viruses that attack bacteria
What type of nucleic acid do viruses that attack plants contain?
RNA only
What types of nucleic acids can viruses that attack animals have?
Either DNA or RNA
What is the typical structure of DNA and RNA in viruses?
DNA can be single or double-stranded; RNA can also be single or double-stranded
Why are viruses considered non-cellular or acellular?
They have no nucleus, ribosomes, or mitochondria
What is the general structure of a virus?
Core of nucleic acid and a protein coat
What are the characteristics of all viruses?
Parasites living in plants, animals, or bacteria
How specific are viruses regarding their hosts?
A particular virus will only live on a particular host
Give an example of a virus and its specific host.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus lives only within the leaves of tobacco plants
What are some diseases caused by viruses?
AIDS, rabies, mumps, measles, smallpox, poliomyelitis, yellow fever, common cold
How do viruses reproduce?
By transforming the host’s nucleic acids into virus nucleic acids when they multiply
Fill in the blank: Viruses cannot be seen without the use of a _______.
light microscope
True or False: Viruses can be classified into five kingdoms.
False
