Virus and Infection Terminology

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to viruses and infections, aiding in exam preparation.

Acellular

Lacking cells.

Acute disease

A disease where the symptoms rise and fall within a short period of time.

Asymptomatic disease

Disease where there are no symptoms and the individual is unaware of being infected unless lab tests are performed.

Attenuation

Weakening of a virus during vaccine development.

AZT

Anti-HIV drug that inhibits the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase.

Back mutation

When a live virus vaccine reverts back to its disease-causing phenotype.

Bacteriophage

Virus that infects bacteria.

Budding

Method of exit from the cell used in certain animal viruses, where virions leave the cell individually by capturing a piece of the host plasma membrane.

Capsid

Protein coating of the viral core.

Capsomere

Protein subunit that makes up the capsid.

Cell necrosis

Cell death.

Chronic infection

Describes when the virus persists in the body for a long period of time.

Cytopathic

Causing cell damage.

Envelope

Lipid bilayer that encircles some viruses.

Fusion

Method of entry by some enveloped viruses, where the viral envelope fuses with the plasma membrane of the host cell.

Gall

Appearance of a plant tumor.

Gene therapy

Treatment of genetic disease by adding genes, using viruses to carry the new genes inside the cell.

Group I virus

Virus with a dsDNA genome.

Group II virus

Virus with an ssDNA genome.

Group III virus

Virus with a dsRNA genome.

Group IV virus

Virus with an ssRNA genome with positive polarity.

Group V virus

Virus with an ssRNA genome with negative polarity.

Group VI virus

Virus with an ssRNA genome converted into dsDNA by reverse transcriptase.

Group VII virus

Virus with a single-stranded mRNA converted into dsDNA for genome replication.

Horizontal transmission

Transmission of a disease between unrelated individuals.

Hyperplasia

Abnormally high cell growth and division.

Hypoplasia

Abnormally low cell growth and division.

Intermittent symptom

Symptom that occurs periodically.

Latency

Virus that remains in the body for a long period of time but only causes intermittent symptoms.

Lysis

Bursting of a cell.

Lysogenic cycle

Type of virus replication in which the viral genome is incorporated into the genome of the host cell.

Lytic cycle

Type of virus replication in which virions are released through lysis, or bursting, of the cell.

Matrix protein

Envelope protein that stabilizes the envelope and often plays a role in the assembly of progeny virions.

Negative polarity

ssRNA viruses with genomes complementary to their mRNA.

Oncogenic virus

Virus that has the ability to cause cancer.

Oncolytic virus

Virus engineered to specifically infect and kill cancer cells.

Pathogen

Agent with the ability to cause disease.

Permissive cell

Cell type that is able to support productive replication of a virus.

Phage therapy

Treatment of bacterial diseases using bacteriophages specific to a particular bacterium.

Positive polarity

ssRNA virus with a genome that contains the same base sequences and codons found in their mRNA.

Prion

Infectious particle that consists of proteins that replicate without DNA or RNA.

Productive viral infection

Infection that leads to the production of new virions.

Prophage

Phage DNA that is incorporated into the host cell genome.

PrP

Normal prion protein.

Prpsc

Infectious form of a prion protein.

Replicative intermediate

dsRNA intermediate made in the process of copying genomic RNA.

Reverse transcriptase

Enzyme found in Baltimore groups VI and VII that converts single-stranded RNA into double-stranded DNA.

Vaccine

Weakened solution of virus components, viruses, or other agents that produce an immune response.

Vertical transmission

Transmission of disease from parent to offspring.

Viral receptor

Glycoprotein used to attach a virus to host cells via molecules on the cell.

Virion

Individual virus particle outside a host cell.

Viroid

Plant pathogen that produces only a single, specific RNA.

Virus core

Contains the virus genome.