Viral Structure & Function
What genetic materials can viruses have?
DNA or RNA
What are the two viral reproduction cycles?
Lytic and lysogenic
What virus caused the COVID-19 pandemic?
SARS-CoV-2
Do viruses have cells?
No, they are acellular.
What is the purpose of a vaccine?
To stimulate the immune system to recognize and fight a virus.
What is the protein shell that protects a virus's genetic material called?
Capsid
In which cycle does a virus immediately take over the host cell and cause it to burst?
Lytic cycle
Which virus attacks the immune system and leads to AIDS?
HIV
What is one reason viruses are considered non-living?
They cannot reproduce without a host.
What type of cells "remember" a virus after vacciation?
Memory B cells and T cells
Some viruses have an outer lipid layer. What is it called?
Envelope
Which viral reproduction cycle allows a virus to remain dormant in the host's DNA?
Lysogenic cycle
The flu is caused by which type of virus?
Influenza virus
Unlike bacteria, viruses do not have this cellular structure for making proteins.
Ribosomes
What is the main difference between a live attenuated and an inactivated vaccine?
Live vaccines contain weakened viruses; inactivated vaccines contain dead viruses.
What is the role of glycoproteins (spikes) on a virus?
Help the virus attach to host cells
What triggers a virus in the lysogenic cycle to enter the lytic cycle?
Name a virus that is spread by mosquitoes.
Zika, dengue, or West Nile virus
What term describes an infectious protein that behaves like a virus?
Prion
What is herd immunity?
When enough people are immune, reducing virus spread to those who aren't immune.
Name a virus that infects bacteria.
Bacteriophage
Explain why a virus needs a host cell to reproduce.
It lacks ribosomes and cannot make proteins or replicate on its own.
What is the only human disease that has been eradicated by vaccination?
Smallpox
What is the key difference between a virus and a bacterium?
Bacteria are living and can reproduce independently; viruses are not and require a host.
How do antiviral drugs differ from antibiotics?
Antivirals slow virus replication, while antibiotics kill bacteria.