unit 3: diversity - viruses

Flashcards covering key concepts and vocabulary related to viruses and their structure, classification, reproduction, and impact.

Virus

An infective agent that reproduces inside the cells of living hosts, consisting of strands of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protective protein coat called a capsid.

Capsid

The hard protective protein shell of a virus.

Lytic Cycle

A replication process in viruses where the genetic material uses the host cell's machinery to make new viruses, ending with the destruction of the host cell.

Lysogenic Cycle

A replication process in which viral DNA enters the host cell’s chromosome, remaining dormant and potentially activating to produce more viruses later.

Vector

An organism that carries and spreads a disease, such as mosquitoes spreading yellow fever.

Gene Therapy

A medical technique that uses viruses to deliver genetic material into a patient's cells to treat or prevent disease.

Morphology

The classification of viruses based on their shape.

Influenza

A virus that causes flu, characterized by symptoms like body aches, fever, and fatigue.

Bacteriophage

A type of virus that infects bacteria.

Viral Meningitis

A condition caused by inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord due to viral infection.