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Virus Introduction

Viruses exist between living and nonliving as they can be crystallized like chemicals but their nucleic acids can infect host cells to replicate. Viruses have no cellular structure, contain either DNA or RNA but not both, use virions to infect cells extracellularly, are obligate parasites requiring a host for protein and nucleic acid synthesis, do not grow in culture media, multiply through a complex rather than binary process, are unaffected by antibiotics but sensitive to interferon, and cause many human diseases from colds to AIDS while some viruses can cause cancer in humans and animals. The increased use of antibiotics for bacteria has elevated the role of viral infections in humans.

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48 views3 pages

Virus Introduction

Viruses exist between living and nonliving as they can be crystallized like chemicals but their nucleic acids can infect host cells to replicate. Viruses have no cellular structure, contain either DNA or RNA but not both, use virions to infect cells extracellularly, are obligate parasites requiring a host for protein and nucleic acid synthesis, do not grow in culture media, multiply through a complex rather than binary process, are unaffected by antibiotics but sensitive to interferon, and cause many human diseases from colds to AIDS while some viruses can cause cancer in humans and animals. The increased use of antibiotics for bacteria has elevated the role of viral infections in humans.

Uploaded by

GIST (Gujarat Institute of Science & Technology)
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Viruses : Introduction

Viruses occypy twilight zone that separates living from nonliving Viruses are living chemicals: they could be crystallized like chemicals and host cells could be infected with its nucleic acid to yield its progeny

Viruses : Characteristics
1. No cellular organization. 2. Contain only one type of nucleic acid : DNA or RNA , never both 3. Extracellular infectious virus particle is called Virion 4. Obligate intracellular parasites : They lack ribosomes & enzymes for protein & nucleic acid synthesis , so they are dependent of host cell 5. Do not grow on inanimate culture media (= Chlamydiae) 6. Complex multiplication process (its not binary fission) 7. No effect of antibiotics 8. Sensitive to Interferon (= Chlamydiae)

Viruses : Medical

They cause large number of human diseases ranging from common cold to AIDS. Viruses are carcinogenic in humans and animals significance Control of bacterial infection with antibiotics has enhanced role of viral infections in humans

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