VIROLOGY

Introduction, Structure
&
Morphology of Viruses

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 INTRODUCTION
 The word virus comes from the Latin meaning a (poison)
 As early as 1728 the term virus was used to describe an
agent that causes infectious disease, and the nature of such
agents was unknown,
 But we can surmise that the agents were thought to be
liquids.

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 INTRODUCTION
 In 1884, Charles Chamberland, developed a porcelain filter
used to provide bacteria-free water for the laboratory.
 Pasteur, working on the agent of rabies, found that it could
pass through such filters and thought it to be unusually
small.
 Ivanovsky and Beijerinck showed that the agent of tobacco
mosaic disease to be small enough to pass through filters.
 Beijerinck called it a ‘contagious living fluid’.

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 INTRODUCTION
 Bacteriophages were discovered in 1917 and found to
cause clear spots, or plaques, on lawns of bacteria growing
on agar plates.
 Such behavior did not fit in with the previously ‘fluid’
nature of viruses.
 Bacteriophages were visualized by the electron microscope
for the first time in 1939, proving beyond all doubt that
they were particulate.

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 Edward Jenner (1798), introduced the term virus in
microbiology.
 Edward Jenner noticed that milk maids who infected
with cowpox develop immunity against smallpox.
 He inoculated a boy with the vesicle fluid taken from the

hand of infected maid.

 The boy developed sustained immunity against smallpox.

 Edward Jenner assumed that the vesicle fluid that has

been taken from the hand of the milk maid contained a
poison ( virus ), that was responsible for immunity.

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 TERMINOLOGY

Viruses: Infectious agent of small size and simple

composition that can multiply only in living cells of
animals, plants, or bacteria.
 Viruses structures essentially consisting of a nucleic
acid genome, protected by a shell of protein. May or
may not have a lipoprotein envelope.
 Genome consists of ONLY one type of nucleic acid;
either RNA or DNA.

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Virology: Is a branch of microbiology that encompasses the
study of viruses and virus-like agents, including their
taxonomy, disease-producing properties, cultivation and
genetics.

Virions: An entire virus particle, consisting of an outer protein

shell and an inner core of nucleic acid ( RNA or DNA),
lipoprotien envelop may included.

Virion serves to transfer viral nucleic acid from one cell to

another
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Virion is another form of a virus. The main difference between virus
and virion is:
 Virus is the nucleoprotein particle whereas virion is the active,
infectious form of the virus.
 A virus does not show any metabolic activity. while virion is the
vector stage of a virus, which allows the transmission of a virus
from an infected, host cell to another host cell.
 the virus is the extracellular phase whereas virion is the
intracellular phase of the virus.

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Structure of Virion

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Capsid: Protein shell which surrounds and protects the nucleic
acid genome and mediates attachment of the virus to specific
receptors on the host cell surface.
 The capsid proteins protect the genome from degradation by
nucleases.
 The interaction of the viral proteins with the cell receptor is the
major determinant of species & organ specificity.
 The capsid is built up of multiple (identical) protein sub-units
called capsomers. Capsids are either icosahedral or tubular in
shape.
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Capsomer: The basic protein building blocks of the capsid,
they’re collection of more than one non identical protein subunit.

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Envelope: Lipoprotein membrane which surrounds some
viruses, derived from the membrane of the host cell.

Nucleocapsid: The complete protein-nucleic acid complex

(Genome + capsid).
Nucleocapsid Envelope

Capsid
Nucleic Nucleic
acid acid

Capsid
(composed of
capsomeres)
Naked virus Enveloped virus 12
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES

Viruses have a very simple structure and occur in many shapes and
sizes.

 Are very small, range in size between 20-300 nanometer, beyond

the resolving power of the light microscope.

Viruses are infectious particles can only be observed by electron

microscopy.

The main purpose of a virus is to deliver its genome into the host
cell to allow its expression (transcription and translation) by the host
cell.
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MORPHOLOGY OF VIRUSES

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 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES
 Viruses lack cellular organelles, such as mitochondria, Golgi
apparatus and ribosomes.

 Obligate intracellular parasite requiring a living host for its

multiplication.

Metabolically inert and can only replicate inside a host cell.

Viruses replicate through replication of their nucleic acid and
synthesis of the viral protein.

 Viruses have no enzymes of their own metabolism; they take over

the metabolic machinery of the host cells.
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 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES
 Viruses cause a wide range of human diseases. They cause
infections like common cold, chicken pox, measles, viral
encephalitis, rabies and AIDS.

measles

chicken pox

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 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES
Viruses can infect all forms of life (bacteria, plants, protozoa,
fungi, insects, fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals);

 Bacterial virus = (Bacteriophage, or phage).

Viruses are difficult targets for chemotherapy because:

they replicate only within host cells, and mainly utilizing
many of the host cell's biosynthetic processes.

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Some viruses are useful:

1-Phage typing of bacteria

2-Sources of enzymes

3-Pesticides

4-Anti-bacterial agents

5-Anti-cancer agents

6-Gene vectors
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GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF VIRUSES

 Viruses consist of :
1) Genomic material of viruses are either DNA or RNA, (but never
both).

2) Protein coat that protects these genes

3) Some have an envelope of fat that surrounds them when they are
outside a cell.

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