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Questions and Answers
What is a characteristic that viruses do NOT have?
What is a characteristic that viruses do NOT have?
What is a similarity between viruses and living things?
What is a similarity between viruses and living things?
What can be done to viruses?
What can be done to viruses?
What is a difference between viruses and living things?
What is a difference between viruses and living things?
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What is an example of what can be done to viruses?
What is an example of what can be done to viruses?
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What is the debate about viruses?
What is the debate about viruses?
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What is the classification of viruses in terms of life?
What is the classification of viruses in terms of life?
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What is a key characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from living cells?
What is a key characteristic of viruses that distinguishes them from living cells?
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What is the relationship between viruses and their host cells?
What is the relationship between viruses and their host cells?
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What is the main difference between viruses and other microorganisms?
What is the main difference between viruses and other microorganisms?
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What happens to the host cell during the viral replication process?
What happens to the host cell during the viral replication process?
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What is the function of tail fibers in viruses?
What is the function of tail fibers in viruses?
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What is the result of the release of new virions from the host cell?
What is the result of the release of new virions from the host cell?
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What does the phage penetrate to inject its DNA?
What does the phage penetrate to inject its DNA?
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What is the result of the phage penetrating the host cell?
What is the result of the phage penetrating the host cell?
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What is the role of the host cell in the viral replication process?
What is the role of the host cell in the viral replication process?
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What is the outcome of the viral replication process?
What is the outcome of the viral replication process?
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What is released into the bloodstream from the liver?
What is released into the bloodstream from the liver?
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What is the function of the tail core?
What is the function of the tail core?
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What is the result of maturation?
What is the result of maturation?
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What is the purpose of the sheath?
What is the purpose of the sheath?
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What is the final stage of the viral lifecycle?
What is the final stage of the viral lifecycle?
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What is the structure that contains the viral DNA?
What is the structure that contains the viral DNA?
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What is the function of the contractile tail in bacteriophages?
What is the function of the contractile tail in bacteriophages?
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What is the role of reverse transcriptase in retroviruses?
What is the role of reverse transcriptase in retroviruses?
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What is the characteristic of viroids?
What is the characteristic of viroids?
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What is the result of a retrovirus infecting a cell?
What is the result of a retrovirus infecting a cell?
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What is the purpose of the lytic cycle?
What is the purpose of the lytic cycle?
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What is the function of the capsid in a virus?
What is the function of the capsid in a virus?
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What is the characteristic of prions?
What is the characteristic of prions?
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What is the role of the host cell in the lytic cycle?
What is the role of the host cell in the lytic cycle?
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What is the outcome of a virus infecting a cell?
What is the outcome of a virus infecting a cell?
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What is the function of the bacteriophage tail fibers?
What is the function of the bacteriophage tail fibers?
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Study Notes
Viruses, Viroids, and Prions
- Viruses are both living and non-living, having some properties of life but not others
- They can be killed and even crystallized like table salt
- However, they can't maintain a constant internal state (homeostasis)
Characteristics of Viruses
- Contain RNA or DNA genome
- Have a protein coat (capsid) that protects the genome
- Can inject their genome into a host cell
- Can be killed with disinfectants or heat
- Can be crystallized like table salt
- Can't maintain a constant internal state (homeostasis)
Retroviruses
- Contain RNA, not DNA
- Contain the enzyme reverse transcriptase
- Can inject their RNA and reverse transcriptase into a host cell
- Can convert their RNA into DNA using reverse transcriptase
- Examples include HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and feline leukemia virus
Viroids and Prions
- Viroids are small, circular RNA molecules that infect plants
- Prions are infectious proteins that can cause diseases such as mad cow disease and kuru
- Prions are normal body proteins that get converted into an alternate configuration by contact with other prion proteins
- They have no DNA or RNA, and the main protein involved is called PrP
Viral Replication
- Viruses are very specific as to which species they attack
- Humans rarely share viral diseases with other animals
- Eukaryotic viruses usually have protective envelopes made of membrane from the host cell
- The lytic cycle of viral replication involves attachment, penetration, replication, assembly, and release of new viruses
Bacteriophage Replication
- Bacteriophage inject their nucleic acid into the bacterial cell
- They lyse (break open) the bacterial cell when replication is finished
- The process involves attachment, penetration, replication, assembly, and release of new phages
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Description
Explore the fascinating world of viruses, viroids, and prions. Are they living or non-living? Take this quiz to find out more about these microscopic entities.