• Virus: A biological particle composed of

nucleic acid and protein

• Intracellular Parasites: organism that must
“live” inside a host
• 1) Made of cells?
• 2) Organization?
• 3) Require energy?
• 4) Respond to Environment?
• 5) Grow?
• 6) Reproduce?
• 7) Adapt?
• They are not made of • Reproduce
cells or organelles • They have DNA or
• They cannot reproduce RNA
without a host • They can adapt to
• They don’t have both surroundings
DNA and RNA • The have
• They do not metabolize organization
energy
• All Have:
– 1) Capsid: coat of
protein that surrounds
DNA or RNA
– 2) Nucleic Acid: RNA
or DNA
• Some Have:
– Tail Fibers: Used for
attachment (not legs)
• Shapes vary
• Cannot reproduce w/o a host cell
– Virulent: cause disease
• Bacteriophages (infect bacteria) are often studied
– Replication is similar with many animal
viruses
• 1st Step:
Attachment
– Virus lands on cell
membrane
– Virus attaches to a
cell receptor
– No attachment = No
infection
– Virus acts as a “key”
to the receptor
 endocytosis

• 2nd Step: Entry

– Virus enzyme weakens cell membrane
– Genetic material (DNA or RNA) enters host cell
• 3rd Step: Replication
– Virus DNA/RNA uses
ribosomes to make
virus proteins
– Proteins created by
transcription/translation
– Virus proteins make
new virus parts
• 4th Step: Assembly
(formation)
– New virus parts
are assembled in
the cytoplasm
• 5th Step: Lysis & Release
– Virus enzyme causes cell membrane to “lyse”
– New viruses are released to find new host
– Cycle repeats
 Viral Transcription & Translation

• If DNA Virus:
– 1) Viral DNA injected • If RNA Virus:
– 2) Viral DNA – 1) Viral RNA injected
transcribed into viral – 2) Viral mRNA
mRNA translated into viral
– 3) Viral mRNA proteins
translated into viral
proteins