CHAPTER 13 VIRUSES

I. Characteristics
A. size
B. structure - viruses are not made of cells
1. nucleic acid
a. DNA or RNA, ss or ds
b. small genome
2. capsid
a. made of protein
b. shapes are usu. helical or polyhedral
3. accessory items may be present:
a. envelope (usu from host pl. memb. or nuc.
memb.) + added viral proteins
b. attachment and penetration structures
ex. bacteriophages
c. enzymes such as lysozyme to rupture host
cell, RNA rep. enz.

C. infectious particles
1. obligate intracellular parasites
2. all cell types may be infected

II. Viral Replication

A. attachment
1. to host cell memb. or other surface molecules
2. host and host-tissue specific
B. entry into host cell
C. synthesis of viral n.a. and viral proteins
 D. assembly of new virions
E. release from host cell

III. Bacteriophages (phages-fig. 11.2)

A. lytic phages
1. called virulent phages b/c destroys
bacterial cell after viral replication
2. life cycle
B. lysogenic phages
1. temperate phages
2. have two lifestyles - lytic and lysogenic
a. lysogenic - after entry of viral DNA into
bact. host, phage inserts its DNA into host
chromosome
b. replicated along w/ bact. chrom. during
binary fission
c. this allows virus to replicate w/out killing
host cells
d. may begin lytic cycle if host cell is
stressed fig. 13.2

IV. Animal viruses

A. attachment
B. entry
1. naked viruses
2. enveloped viruses
C. synthesis - variation to central dogma – p. 237
1. RNA
RNA
2. RNA
DNA - retroviruses
a. virus has enzyme reverse transcriptase
D. assembly
 E. release
1. naked viruses
2. enveloped

F. Viral diseases
1. vaccines for prevention
2. not many useful treatments once viral inf.
has occurred, rely on immune system
3. emerging viruses
a. due to:

V. Plant viruses
A. vector transmission
1. due to _______ cell wall, plant cells must
either be damaged, or pierced by insect for
virus to infect.
2. spread to other cells via ________
B. vertical transmission
C. no cure for viral-infected plants

VI. Other infectious particles

A. viroids

B. prions (pg. 343)

 OBJECTIVES FOR CHAPTER 13

1. Know which components viruses must have, and describe the accessory structures
2. Understand that viruses are not cellular in composition
3. Describe the different types of viral morphology
4. Know the life cycle, both lytic and lysogenic, of a bacteriophage
5. Describe the Hershey-Chase experiment. Identify the type of virus used in this
experiment
6. Know the life cycle of an animal virus
7. Describe and give an example of a retrovirus. Define reverse transcriptase
8. Know how viral infections can be treated and prevented
9. Understand the conditions necessary for viruses to infect plants
10. Define viroids and prions
11. Answer self-quiz questions 2 and 3 and For Discussion question 2

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR CHAPTER 13

1. The enzyme that retroviruses use is called

a. DNA polymerase
b. RNA polymerase
c. reverse transcriptase
d. transformationase
e. helicase

2. Viruses always have a(n) _________ core and a(n) ________ coat called a capsid.
a. amino acid, protein
b. nucleic acid, protein
c. nucleic acid, polysaccharide
d. amino acid, nucleic acid
e. nucleic acid, amino acid

3. Enveloped animal viruses exit a cell in a process called

a. lysis
b. transduction
c. lysogeny
d. budding
e. none of the above

4. The best defense against viral infections are

a. vaccines
b. antiviral drugs
c. antibiotics
d. interferons
e. none of the above
5. Which of the following describes a virus?
a. cells that infect other cells
b. cells that are infectious to humans
c. cells that can replicate only inside other cells
d. prokaryotic
e. none of the above

6. The envelope of a virus is usually derived from

a. the capsid
b. the host's plasma membrane
c. the host's ribosomes
d. the genes from the nucleic acid of the virus
e. the U.S. postal service

7. A virus whose capsid has many sides has ________________ morphology.

a. complex
b. helical
c. polyhedral
d. circular
e. multiplex

8. Viroids
a. consist only of RNA
b. include pathogens of plants
c. resemble viruses but are really bacteria
d. are infectious pieces of protein
e. a and b only

9. Which of the following viruses insert their nucleic acid into the host cell’s
chromosome?
a. lysogenic bacteriophages
b. retroviruses
c. lytic bacteriophages
d. oncogenic viruses
e. a and b only

10. Lysogenic bacteriophages

a. cause cancer
b. insert their DNA into a bacterial chromosome
c. always lyse their bacterial host cell
d. make DNA copies from their RNA genomes
e. b and c only