Viruses PP (2023)

Ebola virus

A viral infection that requires layers of defenses against accidental infection, including protective clothing and negative air-pressure cabinets.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

A fatal disease characterized by degeneration of neural tissue, leading to sponge-like lesions in the brain.

Virus

Infectious agents that infect various cell types including bacteria, algae, fungi, protozoa, plants, and animals.

Louis Pasteur

Scientist who hypothesized that rabies was caused by a living agent smaller than bacteria and proposed the term 'virus,' meaning poison.

Filterable virus

Early discovered viruses that could pass through filters designed to trap bacteria, proving the existence of infectious agents smaller than bacteria.

Viral debate

Discussion on whether viruses are living organisms or mere infectious molecules since they cannot multiply independently.

Obligate intracellular parasites

Viruses that cannot multiply unless they invade a specific host cell to create new viruses.

Capsid

The protein shell that surrounds the nucleic acid core of a virus, composed of identical subunits called capsomeres.

Enveloped virus

A type of virus that has an outer lipid layer derived from the host cell's membrane.

Transformed cells

Cells that display increased growth rates and changes in surface molecules, often a result of viral infection leading to cancer.

Bacteriophage

Viruses that specifically infect bacteria, often containing double-stranded DNA.

Plaques

Clear areas in cell cultures where virus-infected cells have been lysed, indicating the presence of viral activity.

Cytopathic effects (CPEs)

Virus-induced damage to host cells that alters their microscopic appearance, including changes in shape and intracellular structures.

Lysogeny

A condition where viral DNA is incorporated into the host's chromosome and replicated without causing cell lysis.

Viroids

Virus-like agents that parasitize plants, composed of naked RNA strands lacking a capsid.

Antiviral drugs

Medications specifically designed to target viral life cycle steps, unlike antibiotics which target bacteria.

Provirus

Viral DNA that is integrated into the host's DNA, maintaining a latent state within the host cell.

Oncoviruses

Viruses capable of causing cancer by incorporating genes that alter cellular growth regulation.

Nucleic acids

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