Viruses Flashcards
what are viruses?
intra cellular parasites
what are their living characteristics?
they replicate
they have a genome
they have protein
they are alive
when are viruses alive and when do they replicate?
only in a living host
what are their nonliving characteristics?
no metabolism
no growth
no regular cell components/ organelles
are viruses cells?
no
what is a virus’ 2 main components
genome and protein coat
what is a genome?
RNA or DNA (aka nucleic acid)
what is a protein coat?
capsid
which kingdom do viruses fit into?
none
how can viruses be classified?
- what organisms they infect
- what genome they have
- what general shape they have
what types of viruses are there?
DNA
RNA (subgroup- retroviruses)
how large are viruses and how can they be seen?
20-400 nanometers; can only be seen in clusters under electroscopes
DNA or RNA virus
genome is double stranded
DNA
DNA or RNA virus
mutations are minimal
DNA
DNA or RNA virus
it maintains its identity- your immune system will always recognize it
DNA