Veterinary Virology Flashcards
Size of viruses
Diameter: 20-250 nm
Mimivirus
Giant virus discovered in amoebe
800 nm in diamter
Genome larger than at least 25 bacterial genomes
Quorum sensing
Different viruses work together to create a biofilm (peptides between viruses)
Protects them against the environment
Progressive hypothesis
Arisen from mobile genetic elements that gained the ability to move between cells
Regressive/ reduction hypothesis
Evolved from free-living ancestors that adapted a parasitic replication strategy (viruses remnants of cellular organisms
Virus-first hypothesis
Viruses predate or coevolved with their current cellular hosts
How are viruses beneficial?
Mode of transmission of genetic material
Provide residual immunity to subsequent infection
Eliminate harmful bacteria (bacteriophages)
Express foreign viral or non-viral proteins
Insert new genes into cells for gene therapy
Properties of animal viruses
Obligate intracellular organisms
No organelles
Lack metabolic capabilities to replicate
Reproduction by replication (copying)
Nucleic acid RNA or DNA
Virus morphology
Nucleic acid + capsid (protective coat) = nucleocapsid
Contain envelope
________ contain nucleocapsid only and __________ and __________ have nucleocapsid + envelope (both infectious)
- Adenovirus
- Flaviviruses
- paramyxoviruses
Virus
General description before it infects the cell
Virion
Mature infectious virus particle
Viroid
In plants
__________ are generated during virus assembly and are no infectious
Empty capsids
Virus shapes
Icosahedral (pentagon with 20 facets and most common)
Helical
Complex symmetry
Classification of viruses
PCR (type of Nac)
EM (shape, size)