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Biology II. Virsus. Brief History. Many years the cause viral infections such as smallpox and polio were unknown even though we knew they were transferred from person to person
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Biology II Virsus
Brief History • Many years the cause viral infections such as smallpox and polio were unknown even though we knew they were transferred from person to person • Louis Pasteur was certainly on the right track when he postulated that rabies was caused by a living thing smaller than bacteria • In 1884 he was able to develop the first vaccine for rabies
Viruses • Virus- from the Latin virus means toxin or poison • Particles of nucleic acid, protein, and sometimes lipids • Viruses can reproduce only by infecting living cells • A typical virus is composed of a core of DNA or RNA surrounds by a protein coat • Viruses are very small.
The general plan of virus organization is the utmost in simplicity and compactness • Viruses contain only those parts needed to invade and control a host cell • An external coating and a core containing one or more nucleic acid stands of either DNA or RNA
Capsid • A viruses protein coat • The capsid proteins of a typical virus bind to receptors on the surface of a cell and trick the cell into allowing it inside • Once inside, the viral genes are expressed cause the host cell to make copies of the virus and in the process the host cell is destroyed.
Fucntion of Capsid • The outermost covering of a virus is indispensable to viral fucntion • It protects the nucleic acid from the effects of various enzyme and chemical when the virus is outside the host cell • Capsids are also responsible for helping to introduce the viral DNA or RNA into a suitable host cell
Two Structural Types • Helical- continuous helix of capsomers forming a cylindrical nucleocapsid • Icosahedral- 20 sided with 12 corners
Because viruses must bind precisely to proteins on the cell surface and then use a hosts genetic system, most viruses are highly specific to the cells they infect
Viral Infection • Once the virus is inside the host cell, two different process may occur • Lytic infection • Lysogenic Infection
Lytic Infection • Virus attaches to host cell • Injects its DNA • Host makes RNA from viral DNA • Cell begins to make copies of Virus • New viruses form • Host cell bursts
Lysogenic Infection • Virus attaches to host cell • Injects DNA • Viral DNA incorporates itself into the host DNA • Viral DNA can be dormant • Once it becomes active it follows the 4 processes in the lytic cycle
Retroviruses • Viruses that contain RNA as their genetic information • When retroviruses infect a cell, they produce a DNA copy of their RNA • Ex: HIV
Viruses and Living Cells • Viruses must infect a living cell in order to grow and reproduce • They, also take advantage of the host’s respiration, nutrition, and all the other functions that occur in living things. • Therefore, viruses are considered to be parasites