Viruses

Virus: a non-cellular particle made up of genetic material (DNA or RNA) and proteins which
invade living cells
• Not alive; therefore not in a kingdom
o No organelles
o No metabolism
o Don’t grow like cells
o Requires host to reproduce

Bacteriophage: a virus that infects bacteria

Prophage: an intracellular bacteriophage that is harmless to the host cell

Structure

2 main parts:
1. outer capsid
o made of proteins
o may or may not be surrounded by a membrane envelope
2. inner genetic material
• no nucleus

Enveloped virus: surrounded by a bilipid fatty membrane like cells (HIV)

Glycoprotein: a molecule of protein with attached sugar chains

Shapes
1. helical (rabies, measles)
2. icosahedron  polyhedron or a capsid if a virus with 20 triangular faces (chicken pox, herpes)

Classification

1. DNA or RNA
2. viral size
3. envelope

DNA Viruses
Viral Group Size (nm) Structure Disease Examples
Papovaviruses 45-55 Polyhedral Warts
Respiratory & intestinal infections,
Adenoviruses 70-80 Polyhedral
conjunctivitis, sore throat
Herpes, chickenpox, shingles,
Herpesvirses 150-200 Enveloped polyhedral
infectious mononucleosis
Poxviruses 100x200x300 Helical smallpox
RNA Viruses
Viral Group Size (nm) Structure Disease Examples
Poliomyelitis, infectious hepatitis,
Picornaviruses 20-30 Polyhedral
common cold
Myxoviruses 80-120 Enveloped helical Influenza A,B,C
Rhabdovirus 70x180 Enveloped helical rabies
Glycoprotein enveloped
Retroviruses 100 AIDS (depressed immune system)
complex

Types

1. DNA virus
• Virus injects DNA into your cells
• DNA makes mRNA  viral proteins
o This DNA is called a provirus

2. RNA virus
• Virus injects RNA into the host & the RNA serves as the mRNA  viral proteins
• RNA will translate into DNA using an enzyme called reverse transcriptase
• DNA will insert itself into host DNA which makes mRNA
• Called a retrovirus [a virus that contains RNA & reverse transcriptase]
• Ex. HIV

Viroid
• Simpler virus that consists of only a short circular strand of RNA
• No capsid
• Infect plants & destroy crops

Prion
• A glycoprotein particle
o implicated in diseases with long incubation periods
o containing a polypeptide of ≈ 250 amino acids
• no nucleic acids
• Made of infectious proteins
• No DNA or RNA
• Convert normal brain proteins into prions
• Prions will clump together and kill the cell
• Destroy all nerve cells in the brain, leaving holes
• Ex. Mad Coe Disease

Host: organism that provides food for parasite

viruses are
Obligate Intracellular Parasite: parasite that requires a host cell in order to reproduce
Parasite: organism that lives off a host without giving anything positive in return
 Viral Cycles

Transduction: process in which a virus carries genetic material from one cell to another

A) Lytic Cycle
• Methods: airborne (inhaling), liquid transfer, blood transfer (fluids)
• Viruses that only go through the lytic cycle are called virulent
• Steps:
1. Attachment
o Virus attaches itself to cell membrane
o Virus must recognize a specific protein on the membrane to attach
2. Injection
o Viral genetic material is inserted into host cell
o Genetic material may or may not insert itself into host DNA
o Capsid is discarded
3. Synthesis
o Depending on whether it is DNA or RNA, viral proteins will be produced
using viral DNA/RNA
4. Assembly
o Cell assembles viral proteins into multiple viruses
5. Lysis
o The enzyme called lysozyme digests cell membrane, releasing viruses

B) Lysogenic Cycle
• Occurs after step 2where viral DNA may hide in the host for a varying amount of time
• A virus whose replication includes the lysogenic cycle is called a temperate virus
• These viruses may insert themselves into host DNA
• Factors that activate a “sleeping” (dormant) virus:
1. change in temperature
2. stress
3. lack of nutrients

Studying Viruses

Tissue Culture: the growing of living cells in a controlled medium

Serology: the study of biological fluids/blood serums

Electrophoresis: a procedure that separates large molecules by acting on differences in their size
and electric charge
Biotechnology

1. Gene Therapy
• Uses viruses to carry essential genes into a patient & insert them into host DNA
• disadvantages
1. hosts kill viruses so not all cells will have the gene
2. cells eventually die and so will the gene
3. potential for mutation

2. Vaccinations
• Solution that contains “harmless” versions of a virus, bacteria, or toxin which
causes the body to trigger an immune response
• Body creates antibodies which kill the virus
• Body remembers this virus so it can easily eliminate the real virus

Evolution

• No fossil evidence
• Most likely did not arise until cells evolved because the rely on cells
• Probably either formed spontaneously from existing nonliving organic material or evolved
as simplifications of previously existing cells
• Existing viruses often evolve rapidly by natural selection
• Short generation time of a virus means that natural selection acts quickly to select for viral
types that are capable of withstanding destruction in the next host
 Pathology of Diseases

Pathology: study of diseases caused by pathogens

Pathogens: diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites

Epidemic: outbreak of disease in a community

Pandemic: outbreak of disease around the world

Steps to Pathogenesis

1. Transmissibility: contagious from host to host

2. Colonizes and multiplies host tissue
3. Evade host immune system
4. Cause physical harm to tissue

Mode of Transmission

1. food/water
2. blood
3. zoonotic – animals
4. airborne

Health Organizations

• CDC: centre for disease control

o USA only; not Canada
• Public Health Agency
o Canadian version of CDC without ability to contain epidemics
• WHO – World Health Organization
o International
o Deal with pandemic
o Link resources from different countries
 Microscopes

1. compound microscope
o use light & lenses to magnify
2. scanning electron microscope (SEM)
o use electrons to form image; 1.5-2.0 million times more powerful
3. transmission electron microscope (TEM)
o uses electrons; 1 million times more powerful; 3D

Eyepiece: magnifies image 10x

Low-power: magnifies 4x
High-power: magnifies 40x
Nosepiece: holds lenses & rotates
Body Tube: maintains correct distance b/w eyepiece & lenses
Coarse Adjustment: moves stage up & down in large increments
Fine Adjustment: moves stage up & down in small increments
Stage: supports slide
Stage Clips: secure slide in position for viewing
Diaphragm: located under stage; controls amount of light allowed to pass through the object
Light Source: provides light for viewing the image; light-bulb or mirror
Arm: supports the body tube
Base: supports the microscope