Viruses - Intro Flashcards
How are Virus families classified?
Virion Structure
Prescence/abscence of an envelope
Host Range
Mode of Replication
What is a Virion?
The entire virus particle.
The outer protein capsid & inner nucleic acid.
What part of the virus replication process occurs in the nucleus of host cell?
mRNA synthesis
Where is the genomic nucleic acid synthesised?
the cytosol
Why must viruses be cultured in live cells?
Because viruses can only reproduce within a host cell
How are cells grown for virus cultures?
In a nutrient containing medium in a 5% CO2 atmosphere.
How are HIV & HEP B transmitted?
Blood-Borne
Sexual
Vertical
How is Polio transmitted?
Faecal-oral transmission.
What is droplet transmission + an example.?
Transmission by large particels like sneeze or cough particles, has a very short range.
Influenza & RSV
How is the herpes simplex virus transmitteD?
By close-contact
What is zoonotic transmission?
direct transmission from animals to humans via air (influenza) or bites (rabies)
What are examples of airborne virus’?
Measles & chickenpox
What is vector-borne transmission?
virus’ transmitted by anthropods like mosquitoes & ticks.
What does host range mean?
The range of hosts a virus can infect.
E.g. smallpox & measles only infect humans
How can a novel virus be transmitted to humans?
Coinfection of human & animal/bird strains in one organism can lead to recombination & generation of a new strain trasmittable to both.