Viruses Flashcards
Viruses are not…
Cells and are non-living, they are acellular
Virus size
Very small
How do the viruses replicate?
They require a living host cell to replicate inside of
DNA or RNA
Both, which can be single or double stranded
Where is the genome?
Surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid
The envelope contains…
Attachment proteins which enable it to bind to the host cells
What is the purpose of the enzymes?
To replicate genetic information and insert it into the host cells DNA
How many organelles do they have?
None
-cannot replicate independently, can’t synthesise proteins or DNA to make copies of itself, used the host cells organelles
What is the specific enzyme in retroviruses?
Reverse transcriptase allowing it to produce a copy of DNA (cDNA) from viral RNA
