Viruses Flashcards
Are viruses prokaryotic or eukaryotic?
Viruses are neither but they are acellular non-living particles that are 1000x smaller than bacteria.
What are viruses made up of?
They consist of genetic material (RNA) in a protective protein coat called a capsid, enclosed in a lipid envelope. They also have attachment proteins to recognise a host.
What is a bacteriophage?
Bacteriophages are viruses that attack bacteria, made from RNA, a capsid, a base plate and tail fibres.
What is HIV?
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is made from RNA, reverse transcriptase, protein capsid, matrix, lipid envelope and attachment proteins.
How do viruses replicate?
They require the aid of a living cell to reproduce so must detect a host cell and attach to it by connecting its attachment proteins to the protein marker on the membrane of the host cell. Then, the virus injects genetic material and the cell reproduces this, creating new viral proteins. Finally, the replications of the virus leave the cell by using some of the host cell’s own membrane to form the complete virus. This bursting through the membrane destroys the host cell.
