Viruses and Cell Theory

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to viruses, cell theory, and related biological terms.

Metabolism

Chemical reactions that release energy.

Offspring

The ability to reproduce sexually or asexually.

Response

The ability to react to changes in the environment.

Growth

An irreversible increase in size.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal conditions.

Excretion

The process of getting rid of waste products of metabolism.

Nutrition

The acquisition of food to provide energy and materials for growth.

Cell Theory

All living things are made up of cells; the cell is the smallest unit of life; cells only arise from pre-existing cells.

Viruses

Infectious agents that are not considered alive because they cannot reproduce independently and lack cellular structure.

Host

An organism that carries a virus.

Lytic Cycle

A viral replication process where the virus destroys the host cell upon release.

Lysogenic Cycle

A viral replication process where the virus incorporates its DNA into the host cell's chromosome and can remain dormant.

Obligate Parasites

Organisms that require a host to reproduce and cannot replicate independently.

Vaccines

Substances made from inactive or weakened viruses that stimulate the immune system to build immunity.

Herd Immunity

When a large portion of a community is vaccinated, thereby providing protection for individuals who are not immune.

Pandemic

An outbreak of a disease that occurs on a global scale.

Antigenic Shift

The process by which a virus changes shape, making it unrecognizable to antibodies.