Chapter 21 - Viruses

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms and their definitions related to viruses.

bacteriophage

Virus that infects bacteria.

budding

Method of exit from the cell used in certain animal viruses, where virions leave the cell individually by capturing a piece of the host plasma membrane.

capsid

Protein coating of the viral core.

DNA virus

A virus that has DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

envelope

Lipid bilayer that encircles some viruses.

gene therapy

Treatment of genetic disease by adding genes, using viruses to carry the new genes inside the cell.

latency

Virus that remains in the body for a long period of time but only causes intermittent symptoms.

lysis

Bursting of a cell.

lysogenic cycle

Type of virus replication in which the viral genome is incorporated into the genome of the host cell.

lytic cycle

Type of virus replication in which virions are released through lysis, or bursting, of the cell.

oncogenic virus

Virus that has the ability to cause cancer.

oncolytic virus

Virus engineered to specifically infect and kill cancer cells.

pathogen

Agent with the ability to cause disease.

phage therapy

Treatment of bacterial diseases using bacteriophages specific to a particular bacterium.

prion

Infectious particle that consists of proteins that replicate without DNA or RNA.

retrovirus

RNA viruses which replicate by inserting a DNA copy of their genome into the host cell.

reverse transcriptase

Enzyme found in Baltimore groups VI and VII that converts single-stranded RNA into double-stranded DNA.

RNA virus

A virus that has RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

vaccine

Weakened solution of virus components, viruses, or other agents that produce an immune response.

viral receptor

Glycoprotein used to attach a virus to host cells via molecules on the cell.

virion

Individual virus particle outside a host cell.

virus core

Contains the virus genome.