Introduction to Viruses, Viroids, and Prions

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to viruses, viroids, and prions, extracted from the lecture notes.

Virus

A noncellular particle that can infect the host cell and take control of its machinery to replicate.

Viroid

An infectious agent consisting of a short, circular strand of RNA without a protein coat, primarily affecting plants.

Prion

Misfolded proteins that can cause transmissible neurodegenerative diseases and are resistant to typical sterilization.

Capsid

The protein shell that encloses and protects the nucleic acid of a virus.

Host Range

The spectrum of cells that a virus can infect.

Oncogenic Virus

Viruses that can cause cancer by altering the host cell's genetic makeup.

Lysogenic Cycle

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

Bacteriophage

A type of virus that specifically infects bacteria.

Cytopathic Effects

Changes in host cells caused by viral infection, often leading to cell damage.

Nucleic Acid

The genetic material of a virus, which can be either DNA or RNA, but not both.