Understanding Dr. Hosa di Thay

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms and proper nouns from the lecture notes concerning Dr. Hosa di Thay.

how does a virus differ from a cell?

cells are complex with organelles and plasma membrane; viruses are simple genetic material wrapped in a protein coat (capsid).

why does a virus need a host cell?

virus lack the necessary tools for life. they don’t have ribosomes to make proteins, enzymes for DNA/RNA replication, or the ability to generate their own energy (ATP). they rely entirely on the host’s cellular machinery to build new viral components.

what is the difference between a naked virus and an enveloped virus?

naked viruses consists only of nucleocapsid (protein capsid + nucleus acid). They are generally more resistant to environmental stress. enveloped viruses is when the nucleocapsid is surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane stolen from the host cell. thee are often more fragile but is spikes in the envelope to enter the host cell.

why is it names the latent period?

it is named latent period because during this phase of the viral growth curve, no infectious virus particles can be detected outside the cell. the virus has disassembled to release its gnome, and new virions are currently being currently being assembled inside the host but have not yet been released.

how does attachment contribute to virus-host specifically?

attachment is a lock and key mechanism. viral surface surface proteins (ligands) must bind to specific receptors on the surface of the host cell. if a cell lacks the specific receptor, the virus cannot attach or enter, which determines the virus’s host range and tissue tropism.

compare and contrast the lytic and lysogenic cycle. Provide an example phage.

lytic cycle is when the virus takes over the cell, replicates immediately, and causes the cell to lyse to release new virions. lysogenic cycle is when the viral DNA integrates into the host genome. it replicates silently as the host cell divides until a stressor triggers it to enter the lytic cycle.

what is the baltimore classification system, and how does it categorize viruses?

it categorizes viruses based on their mechanism of mRNA synthesis and their genome type. it divides into: 1. dsDNA 2. ssDNA 3. dsRNA 4. (+)ssRNA 5. (-)ssRNA 6. ssRNA-RT 7. dsDNA-RT

define prions and explain how they differ fundamentally from viruses.

prion is an infectious, misfolded protein that causes normal proteins to also misfold. viruses contain genetic material (DNA or RNA); prions have no nucleus acids whatsoever. they are purely proteinaceous.

give one example each of a human, animal, plant, and prion disease.

1. human: HIV

2. animal: rabies

3. plant tobacco mosaic disease

4. prion: mad cow disease

how could bacteriophages address antibiotic resistance? what are the limitations?

bacteriophages are viruses that specifically kill bacteria. they can be used to target and destroy multi-drugs resistant superbugs without harming human cells.