Viruses, Viroids & Prions Study Guide

Flashcards covering fundamental characteristics, classification, and mechanisms of viruses, viroids, and prions.

Virion

A viral particle consisting of a capsid and a nucleic acid core.

Capsid

The outer protein layer of a virus made of smaller units called capsomeres.

Nucleic acid core

The component of a virus that contains either DNA or RNA, but never both.

Obligate intracellular pathogens

Viruses that cannot reproduce outside living cells.

Bacteriophage

A virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.

Lytic infection

A type of viral infection that results in the destruction of the host cell.

Lysogenic infection

A viral infection where the viral genome integrates into the host genome and remains inactive.

Reverse transcriptase

An enzyme used by some viruses to replicate their RNA genomes.

Cytopathic effects

Observable effects on cells caused by viral infection.

Viroids

Infectious agents composed of naked RNA strands that cause plant diseases.

Prions

Infectious proteins that cause degenerative diseases by misfolding other proteins.

Chronic infection

A persistent infection marked by continuous low-level viral production.

Latent infection

A persistent infection where the viral genome is dormant and may reactivate later.

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction)

A molecular technique used for nucleic acid analysis in virus detection.