Biotechnology: Viruses and Bacteria

Vocabulary practice cards focusing on viral classifications, structural components, the comparison between lytic and lysogenic cycles, retrovirus mechanisms, and bacterial genome components.

Bacteriophage

A virus that infects bacteria.

Capsid

One of the two basic structures of a virus that encloses the genome.

Capsomeres

The individual protein subunits that make up the viral capsid.

Membranous envelope

An accessory structure found in some viruses, such as the Influenza virus, which helps in the infection process.

Glycoprotein

Protein structures found on the surface of viral envelopes, such as those in HIV and Adenoviruses, used for cell entry.

Lytic Cycle

A viral reproductive cycle where local bacteria DNA is hydrolyzed, the host cell lyses, and new phages are released.

Lysogenic Cycle

A viral reproductive cycle in which the phage DNA integrates into the bacterial chromosome and is copied as the bacterium reproduces normally.

Prophage

Viral DNA that has been integrated within the bacterial chromosome during the lysogenic cycle.

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)

A retrovirus that contains two identical strands of RNA and the enzyme reverse transcriptase.

Reverse transcriptase

An enzyme used by retroviruses like HIV to synthesize DNA from an RNA template, creating an RNA-DNA hybrid.

Provirus

Viral DNA that has been permanently integrated into the chromosomal DNA of a host's nucleus.

Bacterial Chromosome

The main DNA Loop that constitutes the primary genome of a bacterium.

Plasmids

Small, extra-chromosomal DNA loops found in bacteria in addition to the main bacterial chromosome.

Bacterial Transformation

A process involving the genetic alteration of a bacterium through the uptake of foreign DNA.

Tobacco mosaic virus

A plant virus containing RNA and a capsid structure with capsomeres.

Adenovirus

A virus structure containing a DNA genome, a capsid, and glycoproteins, with a scale of $50\,\mu m$ depicted.

T-even bacteriophage

A complex virus structure consisting of a head, DNA, tail sheath, and tail fibers.