KRISHA MAE R.

VILLANUEVA BS BIO 3A

Virology cell membrane structures

KRISHA MAE R. VILLANUEVA BS BIO 3A

1. Describe the types of morphology in structure of Viruses ( a brief description for the morphology
of the viruses your reference is the picture above).

Viruses come in many shapes and sizes, but these features are consistent for each viral family. As
we have seen, all virions have a nucleic acid genome covered by a protective capsid. The proteins of the
capsid are encoded in the viral genome, and are called capsomeres. Some viral capsids are simple helices
or polyhedral “spheres,” whereas others are quite complex in structure.

Helical, this virus structure has a capsid with a central cavity or hollow tube that is made by proteins
arranged in a circular fashion, creating a disc-like shape. The disc shapes are attached helically (like a toy
slinky) creating a tube with room for the nucleic acid in the middle. All filamentous viruses are helical in
shape. An example of a virus with a helical symmetry is the tobacco mosaic virus.

Polyhedral viruses, these are many-­sided viruses. Their capsids can have different numbers of sides.
Most polyhedral viruses have 20 triangular sides and 12 vertices (corners). The polyhedral virus shown in
the picture below is the adenovirus. This causes respiratory illnesses.

Enveloped/spherical viruses are shaped like spheres because they have a protein, fat or carbohydrate
coat over their capsid. Coronaviruses are a type of enveloped virus.

Complex viruses, these have complicated structures. Capsides can be attached to structures that look
like legs called tail fibres.The complex virus shown in the picture below is a bacteriophage. This virus
infects bacteria.

2. Describe the structure of a virus and its functions ( eg. Capsid describe and give its function).
KRISHA MAE R. VILLANUEVA BS BIO 3A

Capsid: A protein coat that surrounds the DNA or RNA to protect it. The capsid is made of
proteins called capsomeres.

Envelope: A covering for the capsid. This is made up of phospholipids and glycoproteins.
Phospholipids form a fatty layer. The glycoproteins are a mix of proteins and carbohydrates
(complex sugars). Not all viruses have envelopes. The ones that do not are called naked or
non-enveloped.

Viral glycoproteins: reside on the surface of virions and are often the sole component of the
virus that interacts with the external environment.

Matrix: used to describe a protein that forms a layer on the inside of the viral envelope. Matrix
proteins play important roles in virus assembly, as they form links or bridges between
nucleocapsids/cores and the envelope.

Genetic material: A virus is made up of a core of genetic material, either DNA or RNA.

3. What is the chemical structure of viruses?

Viruses are small obligate intracellular parasites, which by definition contain either a
RNA or DNA genome surrounded by a protective, virus-coded protein coat. A complete virus
particle is called a virion. The main function of the virion is to deliver its DNA or RNA genome
into the host cell so that the genome can be expressed (transcribed and translated) by the host
cell. The viral genome, often with associated basic proteins, is packaged inside a symmetric
protein capsid. The nucleic acid-associated protein, called nucleoprotein, together with the
genome, forms the nucleocapsid. In enveloped viruses, the nucleocapsid is surrounded by a
lipid bilayer derived from the modified host cell membrane and studded with an outer layer of
virus envelope glycoproteins.

4. What is meant by DNA-virus or RNA-virus?

Unlike nearly all living organisms that use DNA as their genetic material, viruses may use either
DNA or RNA.

In DNA viruses, the viral DNA directs the host cell’s replication proteins to synthesize
new copies of the viral genome and to transcribe and translate that genome into viral proteins.
Human diseases caused by DNA viruses include chickenpox, hepatitis B, and adenoviruses.
Sexually transmitted DNA viruses include the herpes virus and the human papilloma virus
(HPV), which has been associated with cervical cancer and genital warts.

RNA viruses contain only RNA as their genetic material. To replicate their genomes in
the host cell, the RNA viruses must encode their own enzymes that can replicate RNA into RNA
or, in the retroviruses, into DNA. These RNA polymerase enzymes are more likely to make
copying errors than DNA polymerases, and therefore often make mistakes during transcription.
For this reason, mutations in RNA viruses occur more frequently than in DNA viruses. This
causes them to change and adapt more rapidly to their host. Human diseases caused by RNA
viruses include influenza, hepatitis C, measles, and rabies. The HIV virus, which is sexually
transmitted, is an RNA retrovirus.

5. Why are viruses considered to be on the borderline between living and nonliving?
KRISHA MAE R. VILLANUEVA BS BIO 3A

Unlike bacteria and fungi, viruses exist in a gray area between “living” and “non-living”
because of the way they are structured and how they reproduce. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes
can, for the most part, reproduce on their own. Viruses, on the other hand, depend on a host
cell for nearly all of their functions, including reproduction. This is because viruses are
essentially packets of genetic material and proteins—they lack the cellular “machinery” required
to survive and reproduce on their own.

6. What structure is unique to a virus?

The head of the virus has an icosahedral shape with a helical shaped tail. The head-tail
morphology structure is unique to viruses that only infect bacteria and are known as bacteriophages.
The head of the virus has an icosahedral shape with a helical shaped tail. The bacteriophage uses its tail
to attach to the bacterium, creates a hole in the cell wall, and then inserts its DNA into the cell using the
tail as a channel. The Poxvirus is one of the largest viruses in size and has a complex structure with a
unique outer wall and capsid. One of the most famous types of poxviruses is the variola virus which
causes smallpox.