Name: __Fatema Ebrahim___ Date: _____4/27/2021__

Student Exploration: Virus Lytic Cycle

Vocabulary: bacteriophage, capsid, host cell, lyse, lytic cycle, virus

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the
permission of the owner. How do you think a computer virus compares to a real virus?

I think it compares to a human virus because a human virus can spread from one human to
another just like a computer virus can spread and infect another computer.

2. Have you ever been infected with a virus, such as the cold virus or flu virus? No, I have
never been infected with a virus.

3. If so, how did the virus affect you? I’ve never been affected by a virus.

Gizmo Warm-up
A virus is a microscopic particle that can infect a cell.
Viruses are primarily composed of a protein coat, Virus
called a capsid, and nucleic acid. In the Virus Lytic
Cycle Gizmo™, you will learn how a virus infects a
cell and uses the cell to produce more viruses. Bacterial cell
1. Viruses are extremely small. A typical virus is
about 100 times smaller than a single cell, such
as a bacterium. Label the virus and a bacterial
cell in the image at right.

2. Bacteriophages are
viruses that infect
bacteria. Based on the Strand of nucleic acid
diagram at left, label
the head, tail, tail
fibers, and the strand Head
of nucleic acid in the Tail fibers
image at right.

Tail

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Lytic cycle  If necessary, click Reset ( ).

Introduction: Unlike living organisms, viruses cannot reproduce on their own. Instead, viruses
infect host cells, taking over the cell’s machinery to produce more viruses. This process is
called the lytic cycle.

Question: What are the steps of the lytic cycle?

1. Observe: Use the navigation arrows on the DESCRIPTION tab to read about the stages of
the lytic cycle. Using your own words, summarize each step of the cycle.

Step Summary

A lytic bacteriophage virus attaches to a bacterial cell. It is composed of

1
a protein capsid, nuclei acid, and a tail section.

↓
The virus injects its nucleic acid into the cell. This acid uses the cells
2 ribosomes to make virus proteins. These proteins break up the cells
DNA.

↓
The virus capsid and tail detach from the cell and disintegrate. In the cell
3 the viral nucleic acid takes over and directs the production of new virus
proteins and nucleic acid.

↓
4 The virus proteins and nucleic acid assemble into new viruses.

↓
Special proteins produced by the viral nucleic acid cause the host
5 bacterial cell to lyse (burst) destroying the cell in the process. And all
these new viruses are now free to infect other cells.

(Activity A continued on next page)

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Activity A (continued from previous page)

2. Analyze: The yellow ring inside the bacterial cell represents the bacterial DNA. Why does
this structure disappear by step 3 of the lytic cycle?

The structure disappears by step 3 because nuclei acid uses cells ribosomes to make virus
proteins and this protein breaks up the DNA.

3. Describe: How does a virus destroy the host cell’s DNA?

A virus destroys a host cell’s DNA by injecting the cell with its nuclei acid. This nuclei acid
then used the cell’s ribosomes to make virus proteins, and these proteins break up the cell’s
DNA.
4. Describe: How are new viruses reproduced? New viruses are reproduced when there is viral
nuclei acid inside the cell. This acid takes over inside the cell and directs the production of
new virus proteins and nuclei acid. Then the virus proteins and nuclei acid assemble into
new viruses.

5. Think and discuss: Why can’t a virus reproduce on its own? A virus can’t reproduce on its

own because it does not have what is needed to make proteins or nucleic acid.

6. Justify: To lyse is to burst apart or explode. Why do you think a virus’s reproduction cycle is
called the “lytic cycle”?

I think it’s called the lytic cycle because lyse means burst and so it means burst cycle. Which
is how a virus reproduces. It’s made inside and cell and then the cell burst so the virus can
come out.

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 Activity B:
Get the Gizmo ready:
Spread of
 If necessary, click Reset.
infection

Question: How does a viral infection spread?

1. Predict: Suppose that a virus infects a small population of bacteria. Predict how the numbers
of viruses, infected cells, and uninfected cells will change as the infection progresses. On
the blanks below, write increase, decrease, or stay the same.

Viruses: _______________________ Infected cells: _______________________

Uninfected cells: _______________________

2. Observe: Click Play ( ), and watch the simulation. Describe what you see.

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3. Test: Click Reset, and Select the BAR CHART tab. Turn on Show numerical values. Click
Play, and watch each bar as the simulation runs. What do you notice, and how does this
compare to your predictions?

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4. Record data: Select the TABLE tab, and use the data to complete the second column of the
table below. To complete each cell in the third column, subtract the previous time value from
the current time value. For example, if it took 80 minutes to reach 40 cells and 100 minutes
to reach 30 cells, then the time difference is 20 minutes.

Number of Amount of time to decrease

Time (minutes)
healthy cells population by 10
50 0 minutes --
40
30
20
10

(Activity B continued on next page)

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Activity B (continued from previous page)

7. Analyze: What trend do you see in the third column of your data table? ________________

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8. Explain: How would you explain this trend? ______________________________________

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9. Interpret: Select the GRAPH tab. Run the Gizmo again, and observe what happens in the
SIMULATION pane when the graph shows a decrease in the viruses’ population size.

A. Why does the number of viruses sometimes increase and sometimes decrease?

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B. Sometimes when a virus enters a cell, it becomes dormant for a while. Why might
this make it difficult for a doctor to diagnose a viral infection?

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10. Extend your thinking: AIDS is one disease

caused by a virus infection. The virus attacks
immune system cells known as T cells.

Based on your observations from the Gizmo,

how would you explain the data shown on
this graph?

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