Ch13_Characterizing and Classifying Viruses Viroids and Prions

Virus

A cellular infectious agent having either DNA or RNA, causing infections in all organisms.

Virion

The extracellular state of a virus, consisting of a protein coat surrounding nucleic acid.

Capsid

The protein coat that protects viral nucleic acid and aids in host cell attachment.

Nucleocapsid

The combination of nucleic acid and capsid.

Envelope

An outer layer of some viruses composed of a phospholipid bilayer and proteins.

dsDNA

Double-stranded DNA, one of the types of viral genomes.

ssDNA

Single-stranded DNA, one of the types of viral genomes.

dsRNA

Double-stranded RNA, one of the types of viral genomes.

ssRNA

Single-stranded RNA, one of the types of viral genomes.

Bacteriophage

A type of virus that infects bacteria.

Lytic replication

A viral replication process that results in the death and lysis of host cells.

Lysogenic replication

A replication process in which the viral genome integrates into the host's genome and remains dormant.

Prophage

A bacteriophage genome that has integrated into the host cell's DNA.

Phage therapy

The use of bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.

Latency

A state in which a virus remains dormant in the host cell without causing an active infection.

Oncogenes

Genes that have the potential to cause cancer.

Prion

Infectious agents composed entirely of protein that can cause neurodegenerative diseases.

Viroid

Infectious agents composed of small, circular pieces of RNA that infect plants.

Capsomere

Individual protein subunits that make up the capsid of a virus.

Glycoproteins (spikes)

Viral proteins that aid in attachment to host cells.

Exocytosis

The process by which viruses are released from host cells.

Budding

The process by which enveloped viruses are released from host cells, incorporating parts of the host cell membrane.

Positive-sense ssRNA virus

A virus whose single-stranded RNA can act directly as mRNA.

Negative-sense ssRNA virus

A virus whose single-stranded RNA cannot be directly translated into proteins.

Double-stranded RNA virus

A virus containing double-stranded RNA genome.

Protooncogenes

Normal genes that can become oncogenes when mutated.