Viruses

• What are viruses?

  Tiny structures that consist of only a protein coat.
• What type of parasite is a virus?

  An obligate parasite.
• What signifcance is it that viruses are obligate parasites?

  They can only replicate when in a host cell.
• Why are viruses not cells?

  They don't have membranes or any cell organelles.
• What are 2 living features of viruses?

  They have a nucleic acid, and they can pass on genetic information.
• What are 2 non-living features of viruses?

  They cannot respire, they cannot reproduce.
• Name 3 shapes of viruses?

  Rod shaped, round, complex.
• What is a retrovirus?

  A virus that contains RNA instead of DNA.
• Name 3 diseases in humans caused by viruses.

  COVID-19, chicken pox, and the flu.
• Name 1 disease in plants caused by viruses.

  Tobacco mosaic virus.
• How do viruses contribute to economic loss?

  When people get sick they need to take time off of work.
• How are viruses used in genetic engineering?

  They're used to transfer genes from one organism to another.
• What is a bacteriophage?

  A virus that can only infect and replicate in bacterial cells.
• How can viruses be beneficial in medicine?

  Bacteriophages can be used to control bacterial infections.
• Name 1 drug which can interfere with viral replication.

  Interferon.
• Name 1 drug that cannot interfere with viral replication.

  Antibiotics.