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Understanding Viruses: Characteristics, Shapes, and Replication

Learn about viruses, among the smallest disease-causing particles, not considered living. They contain nucleic acid and a protein coat, such as DNA or RNA, and come in various shapes like icosahedron and helix. Viruses can be DNA or RNA-based, with retroviruses integrating into host DNA. Viroids and prions are also discussed, along with Mad Cow Disease, a fatal brain disorder in cattle.

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Understanding Viruses: Characteristics, Shapes, and Replication

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  1. VirusesLiving or Not ???????

  2. Characteristics of Viruses • Among the smallest biological particles that are capable of causing diseases in living organisms • Constructed of compounds associated with cells

  3. Not Considered Living • A virus is not a bacteria, fungus, protist, plant or animal. • They can not carry out cellular functions. • A virus can not replicate without infecting cells and then using the organelles and enzymes of the cells of the host.

  4. A Virus Has Two Essential Features • A Nucleic Acid • DNA or • RNA • But not both • A Capsid – a protein coat surrounding the nucleic acid.

  5. Some may have a membrane like structure outside the capsid called an envelop • Examples: • Influenza • Chickenpox • Herpes-simplex • HIV

  6. Viral Shape • The shape of the virus is determined by either its capsid or its nucleic acid • Two examples of shape • Icosahedron has 20 trianglular faces -- herpes simplex, chicken pox and polio • Helix is a spiral shape ( like DNA) -- rabies, measles and tobacco mosaic virus

  7. There are Two Types of Viruses • DNA • Replicated in one of two ways • Directly produce RNA that make new viral proteins • Join with the host cell’s DNA to produce new viral proteins

  8. RNA • Viral RNA is released into the host cell’s cytoplasm and uses the ribosomes to produce new viral proteins • Some are known as retroviruses containing an enzyme called reverse transcriptase. These use the RNA as a template to make DNA. This DNA is integrated into the host cell’s DNA.

  9. Viroid • Smallest known particles able to replicate • Short single strand of RNA • No capsid • Disrupts plant metabolism and may damage an entire crop

  10. Prions • Abnormal forms of proteins that clump in cells • Linked to diseases of the brain • Consist of 250 amino acids and not associated with any nucleic acid • Examples: • Scrapies in sheep • Mad Cow Disease in cattle

  11. What is Mad Cow Disease • Mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a fatal brain disorder that occurs in cattle and is caused by some unknown agent. • Brain cells die leaving the brain of the cow to look like a sponge. • It is believed to have come from a similar disease in sheep called scrapie.

  12. Viral Replication

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