Viruses Flashcards
What is a virus
A non-living thing that contains genetic material protected by a protein capsid.
What genetic info do viruses contain?
DNA or RNA (70% RNA)
What does DNA and RNA stand for?
Deoxyribonucleic acid
Ribonucleic acid
What chemicals are in DNA
Thymine
Cytosine
Guanine
Adenine
What chemicals are in RNA
Cytosine
Guanine
Adenine
Uracil
What do viruses need in order to reproduce?
Need to invade a Host cell
What are the two virus cycles?
Lytic and lysogenetic cycle
What is the lytic cycle?
When a virus invades a living cell and uses it’s structured to replicate. (Viruses replicate inside a cell and lyse the host cell in order to infect more cells)
What is the lysogenetic cycle?
Viral genome combines with host genome and remains dormant (Inject their genetic material and stay hidden inside the cells genetic material and when the host cell makes new cells, the cell also replicates the virus in the genetic material)
What is a retrovirus? (Give examples)
A class of viruses that contain RNA, and an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. They inject RNA and an enzyme into host cell; enzyme causes RNA to turn into DNA
Mutations are common. (HIV and Cell Lukemia)
What is gene therapy?
When viruses are used to deliver working copies of genes to Cells in patients who have diseases/disorders. For example, viral genome can be altered, causing it to attack cancer cells.
What cannot be used to treat viruses and why?
Antibiotics because antibiotics can only kill living things and viruses are not alive
How do vaccines work?
Vaccines have dead or weakened viruses that trick, the immune system into producing antibodies to fight the virus without it being harmful.
How do viruses cause human illness?
By killing cells or disrupting cell function.
