viruses and bacteria Flashcards
how are viruses compared to bacteria in terms of size?
tiny
what are viruses made of?
nucleid acid - DNA/RNA
enclosed in a protein coat called a capsid
what so some viruses have?
viral envelope that helps them infect their host
from where are the viral envelopes derived from? why?
from the host cell to help the virus be unnoticed by the immune system
what are viral envelopes made of?
made up of phospholipids and glycoproteins
what do some viruses carry?
enzymes in their capsids
shapes of viruses?
may be rod shaped or more complex in structure
complex viruses
bacteriophages that infect bacteria
where can viruses reproduce?
only within a host cell
when a person sneezes, when are the released viruses activated?
until a host gets the virus into their own body
why arent viruses activated until they go into a body?
they lack enzymes for metabolism and cannot make their own proteins
*why some scientists classify viruses as nonliving
host range
each type of virus can only infect a limited range of host cells
*some are so small that it only includes 1 species
how are viruses able to identify their hosts?
by protein receptors in the surface of the host cells that form a lock and key first with the receptors on the surface of the virus
example of a virus with a big host range?
rabies - can infect raccoons, skunks, dogs, and humans
most viruses can infect eukaryotes that are?
tissue specific
what do cold viruses infect?
only the cells of the respiratory tract
what does HIV infect?
only helper T cells - type of WBC
what happens once a virus is inside of a host?
they start taking control of the host?
what does a virus do to the host?
reprogram it to make copies of the viral RNA/DNA (DNA replication) and viral proteins (protein synthesis)
what does the host cell provide for the virus?
nucleotides, enzymes, ribosomes, RNA, amino acids, ATP, for the making of viral part
what is the lytic cycle?
a viral cycle during the last stage of infection
what happens during the lytic cycle?
lytic cycle first destroys the host’s DNA and eventually the host
then viruses are free to go infect other healthy cells
what is a virus that reproduces by the lytic cycle called?
virulent virus
what does virulent mean?
very infectious
how long does it take a virulent virus to destruct its host?
20-30 minutes
steps of lytic cycle (5)
- phage stick to receptor on outer surface of cell
- sheath of tail contracts, making a hole through the cell wall and membrane. phage injects DNA
- empty capsid is left as ghost. cell’s DNA is destroyed (hydrolyzed)
- phage’s DNA is replicated
- cell lyses
when happens when a cell lyses?
100-1000 of viruses bursts free from the host cell
how have host cells evolved to protect themselves?
some have mutated their surface receptors and are no longer recognized by a particular bacteriophage
some have enzymes that are bale to break down viral DNA/RNA (Eco RI)
what is the lysogenic cycle?
when a virus infects a host cell but doesnt destroy the host and doesnt destroy the hosts’s DNA
what happens to the viral DNA in lysogenic cycle?
it becomes incorporated into the hosts DNA
what is the viral DNA called when it is part of the host’s DNA?
provirus - general term
prophage - only for bacteria
what does a provirus not do?
it does not interfere with the normal functioning of the host cell
what happens every time a host cell duplicated in a lysogenic cycle?
the viral DNA gets copied as well
when does a lysogenic cell get triggered to switch to the lytic cycle?
can go on for years until triggered by physical/emotional stress
do viruses go undetected in lysogenic cycles?
most of the time - some can alter the host’s phenotype
ex. scarlet fever causes red rashed on skin since the host cell makes toxins (proteins) and the body reacts to it
most viruses have what nucleic acid?
RNA as their genetic material
what type of virus causes AIDS?
retro viruses - viruses that have RNA ns use an enzyme within the virus itself called reverse transcriptase to make DNA
what happens when DNA is created by reverse transcriptase?
DNA is integrated into the host’s DNA as a provirus which will be replicated over and over in a lysogenic cycle
why are HIV infected individuals appear unaffected for so long?
lysogenic cycle
some HIV viruses can bud off from the host cell and go infect other helper T cells an d then destroy the helper T cells when it switches to a lytic cycle
what happens when the HIV infected cell lyses?
helper T cells are destroyed by the HIV virus and there is a total loss of immunity and now has AIDS
why is HIV a difficult antigen for the body to destroy?
it keeps mutating and the immune system cannot keep up with it
why are all mutations of RNA viruses?
they do not have the proofreading steps of DNA replication
what is the common drug to control HIV?
AZT - interferes with the action of reverse transcriptase
what are vaccines?
dead/weakened forms of pathogens
what are pathogens?
viruses or bacteria
what do vaccines do?
since the cannot cause the disease because they are weakened, they stimulate the immune system to mount a defense in the event of a “live” attack.
who made the first vaccine?
Dr Edward Jenner
what did Jenner notice?
milkmaids who contracted cowpox were resistant to smallpox
cowpox
a mild disease that usually infects cows
smallpox
a disease that often resulted in death
what did Jenner do?
he scratched James with a needle containing fluid from the sore of a milkmaid who had cowpox
what happened to James?
when he was later exposed to smallpox, he didnt get sick
why didnt James get sick?
cowpox and smallpox viruses are so similar that the immune system cannot distinguish them
What can vaccines be used for?
a viral or bacterial infection