Viruses, Viroids, and Prions

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key concepts and terminology related to viruses, viroids, and prions.

Virus

A small acellular infectious agent that requires a host cell to replicate.

Viroid

The smallest known pathogens, consisting of circular RNA molecules that infect plants.

Prion

Infectious agents composed solely of protein, lacking nucleic acid, known to cause neurodegenerative diseases.

Bacteriophage

A type of virus that specifically infects bacteria.

Lytic cycle

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

Lysogenic cycle

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

Nucleocapsid

The complex of viral nucleic acid and its protein coat (capsid).

Capsomere

Subunits that make up the capsid of a virus.

Oncogene

A gene that has the potential to cause cancer, often activated by viral integration.

Latent virus

A virus that remains dormant within a host cell and can reactivate later.

Phage therapy

A therapeutic approach that uses bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections.

RNA dependent RNA polymerase

An enzyme that synthesizes RNA from an RNA template, important in viral replication.

Amyloids

Abnormal protein aggregates resulting from prion misfolding that can lead to cellular damage.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

Also known as Mad Cow Disease, a neurodegenerative disease caused by prion infection.

Bacteriophage MS2

A type of bacteriophage that has a simple structure and is used in molecular microbiology.

Tobacco Mosaic Virus

A plant virus that infects tobacco and other plants, causing characteristic mottling.

Envelope

A lipid membrane surrounding some viruses, derived from the host cell's membrane.