VIROLOGY

INTRODUCTION TO VIROLOGY

DATE: 13-OCT-2020

BS BIOTECHNOLOGY

SMESTER: 8
 Course Structure and Requirements
1.Class Structure:
1.5 hours Lecture thrice a week
2. Home work:
 Quiz and Homework assignments will be given to
students.
 Homework assignments submitted on time will only be
credited.
3.Presentation:
Presentation in a group of 4 students.
 Grading??/?

• 10% Quiz and Homework assignments.

• 10% Presentation.

• 30 % Mid Exams

• 50% Final Exams.

 Course Contents
 Historical perspective.
 General properties of viruses.
 Classification and nomenclature.
 Virus structure and assembly.
 Replication cycle and genetics of viruses.
 Animal and plant viruses.
 Propagation, detection and quantification of viruses.
 Pathogenesis and immune response of viral infections.
 Laboratory diagnosis of viral diseases.
 Vaccines and antiviral drugs.
 Epidemiology.
 Tumor viruses.
 Viral vectors and gene therapy.
 Emerging viruses.
 Specific aspects of selected viral diseases.
 Course Objectives
• Aim of this course is to provide
a generalized overview of
virology as its stands today.
 VIROLOGY
 Vir = Viruses
 Ology = Study
 Virus=A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates
only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all types of
life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including
bacteria and archea.

Virology:
Virology is the branch of science in which we deals with the study of
viruses, including their taxonomy, disease- producing properties and
genetics.
 HISTORTY

• Term virus derived by Latin word which means VENOM/

POISON.
• In 1886, Adolf Meyerobserved viruses in Tobacco plant
and the viruses are TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS (TMV).

• Ivanovsky (1892), after bacteria are removed by filteration

of the sap, the sap remains infectious.

• Martinus (1898) is known as the FATHER OF VIROLOGY.

 General characteristics of viruses
Smallest unicellular organisms

Obligate, intracellular

Posses either DNA/ RNA

Smaller than bacteria

Cannot grow on artificial media

Some have spikes

 Multiply by complex method
 Lack cell wall, cell membrane and cellular
organelles
 Host range determined by specific host
attachment sites and cellular factors
 Some have enzymes inside virion called
reverse transcriptase (Retroviruses and
hepatitis B virus)
 Imporatant definitions
• Viriods:
Consist of Naked, cyclical, small ss-RNA without capsid.
Depends on host enzymes for replication.
• Prions:
Abnormal infectious protein molecule without nucleic acid.
They are resistant to physical and chemical agents.
o Slow infections in humans with longer incubation period
(in years)
o Neurodegenerative condition of brain caused by prions
• Virion:
Complete virus particle.
 Morphology of viruses
• Viruses consist of
1. Nucleic acid.
2. Capsid (protein coat).
3. Envelope (additional lipid
bilayer)
Morphology of viruses
 Nucleic acid
 Contain only one type of nucleic acid either DNA or RNA
but never both.

 On the basis of nucleic acid we classified them as., DNA

viruses and RNA viruses.

 Single stranded/ Double stranded.

 Linear or circular

 Segmented or unsegmented
 Capsid
 Nucleic acids of viruses surrounded by protein coat called
capsid.

 Capsid composed of protein subunits called capsomeres.

Functions:
• Protects nucleic acid from external environment
• In non-enveloped virus__ determine the target site
• Antigenic
 Envelope
• Some viruses have
envelope as an outer
layer surrounds
nucleocapsid.
• Lipoprotein in nature.
• Enveloped viruses
susceptible to heat
and lipids like ether.
(Influenza virus)
• Some viruses are
non-enveloped.
• Non-Enveloped
virusesParvoviruse
, Adenoviruses,
Papovaviruses,
Hepatitis A and E
viruses
 Size of viruses
• Extremely small, from 20 to 400 nm

Smallest virus  parvovirus 20 nm

Largest virus  poxvirus 400 nm

• Size can be determined by electron microscope,

ultracentrifugation and passing through filter membranes
of different pore size.
SMALLEST AND LARGEST VIRUS
PAROVIRUS POXVIRUS
Recommended books for study:
• Singh, V. (2010). Text Book of Virology. International Book
Distributing Co. (Available in UCP Library)
• Flint et al. (2009). Principles of Virology. 3rd Edition. ASM
Press, USA.
• Lal S. (2007). The Biology of Emerging Viruses. 1st
Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, USA.
• Carter J and V Saunders. (2013). Virology: Principles and
Applications. 2nd Edition. Wiley.
• Wagner et al. (2007). Basic Virology. 3rd Edition. Wiley-
Blackwell
• Flint SJ. (2009). Principles of Virology, Vol. 2:
Pathogenesis and Control. 3rd Edition; AMS Press