Microbiology - Viruses (L12-13)

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to viruses from the lecture notes.

Viruses

Genetic elements with an obligate intracellular replication cycle.

Virions

Extracellular form of a virus which includes nucleic acid and a protein coat and possibly an outer envelope.

Lytic Cycle

A viral replication cycle that results in the destruction of the host cell.

Lysogenic Cycle

A viral replication cycle where the virus integrates its genome into the host cell's genome.

Capsid

The protein coat surrounding the nucleic acid of a virus.

Capsomers

Subunits of one or more proteins that make up the capsid.

Enveloped Virus

A virus that has an outer membrane derived from the host cell membrane.

Bacteriophage

A virus that infects bacteria.

Plaque Forming Unit (PFU)

A measure of viable viral particles that can form plaques on a host cell lawn.

Antigenic Shift

Rearrangement of genome segments to produce different viruses.

Retrovirus

A type of virus that replicates through a DNA intermediate using reverse transcriptase.

Viroids

Small circular ssRNA particles that infect plants and do not encode proteins.

Prions

Extracellular forms consisting solely of protein, known for causing neurological diseases.

Cohesive Ends

The specific ends of linear DNA that allow for circularization of genome in lambda virus.

Baltimore Classification Scheme

A system for classifying viruses based on their type of nucleic acid and replication method.

Lytic Phage

A type of bacteriophage that leads to host cell lysis upon infection.

Temperate Phage

A bacteriophage capable of using both lytic and lysogenic replication cycles.

Plating Efficiency

The proportion of virions that successfully form plaques on host cells.

Eclipse Period

The time after infection during which the virus is undetectable before assembly and release.

Capsid Symmetry

The structural arrangement of capsomers in viral capsids, can be helical or icosahedral.

Rolling Circle Replication

A method of viral DNA replication leading to the formation of concatemer.

Viral Genome

The genetic material of a virus, which may be DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded.

Infectivity

The capacity of a virus to successfully establish infection in a host.