Questions On Viruses Have Genetic Material Enclosed Within A Capsid

Viruses are microscopic particles that invade and take over both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. They consist of two structures, which are the nucleic acid and capsid. The nucleic acid contains all genetic material in the form of DNA or RNA, and is enclosed in the capsid, which is the protein coating that helps the virus attach to and penetrate the host cell. In some cases, certain viruses have a membrane surrounding the capsid, called an envelope. This structure allows viruses to become more stealthy and protected. There are two cycles in which a virus can go into: lytic and lysogenic. The lytic cycle consists of the virus attaching to a cell, injecting its DNA, and creating more viruses, which proceed to destroy the host. On the other hand, the lysogenic cycle includes the virus attaching to the cell, injecting its DNA, which combines with the cell’s DNA in order for it to become provirus. Then, the provirus DNA may eventually switch to the lytic cycle and destroy the host.

Some phages infect bacteria to destroy them, which is called lysic lifestyle, while other phages infect bacteria and stay dormant inside them for a while, which is referred to as a lysogenic lifestyle. A phage infects the bacteria cell by injecting its genetic material into the bacteria’s cytoplasm. This allows the bacteria synthesis process to start making the phage’s genetic code instead of its own. Once the bacteria have made enough phages to handle, the walls will break and release all of the phage that was created. The phages that were made are now resetting the process and beginning again by infecting the other near bacteria by injecting their genetic material once again. Those phages that stay within the bacteria and not burst the bacteria will continue to reproduce the phages own genetic code. (Griffiths,

Unlike bacteria, that have everything it needs to reproduce, viruses need to use a living cell's organelles in order to replicate.

An ‘emerging’ disease is one that is speedily increasing in frequency or distribution. This expression not only circumscribes the diseases corresponding with previously unknown agents, but additional known diseases that are ‘re-emerging’, as well. What is it that provokes disease emergence? Epidemiological principles profess that disease is multi-factorial. That is, in inclusion to the existence of the infectious agent, additional factors, such as the agent, host, and/or the environment are all generally imperative for infection and disease to occur. But who would have concluded that one of the most menacing viral infections would result from a mammal? The Nipah Virus Infection (NiV) is a known emerging infection, targeting the public health

that the release of new virus particles is inhibited and their spread is hindered. There are two

There is a trade-off between rate of transmission and duration of infection. If a pathogen can gain increased reproduction by using host resources, or doing anything that helps itself and hurts the host, that tactic can be selected for. A pathogen gains from leaving the host mobile, which generally entails leaving the host alive. A virus spreads only if an infected individual passes the virus on to more than one new host.

During the lytic and lysogenic cycle, viruses reproduce at a rapid pace resulting in abundant of mutations, thus allowing it to undergo natural selection. Natural selection is the “survival of the fittest” and occurs in viruses mutations that later evolves into evolution. If the mutation is favorable to its environment the virus will continue reproducing with the mutations in order to obtain a higher survival rate. If a virus enters a host cell it is categorized as foreign species and will either go into the lytic or lysogenic cycle. Viruses that enters the lytic cycle (“now or never”) will have a 12 hour time period to reproduce and bust the host cell to infect surrounding cells. Contradicting the lytic cycle, the lysogenic cycle has an

The other cycle is the lysogenic cycle, which does not involve the lysis of the host cell but rather integrate with its bacterial chromosome, creating a prophage which has the capacity of producing other Phages. This also means that whenever the bacteria undergoes mitosis, its daughter cells will also have the prophage.

The structure of viruses allows it to replicate itself and multiply within seconds. This process is called the lytic cycle where hey multiply by attaching themselves to a host cell and infuse the cell with their nucleic acid. This acid takes the host cell hostage and the virus starts to multiply with nucleic acid and its protein coat which leads to the development of new viruses. The host cell is then infected with the new viruses and it bursts. The newly formed viruses then carry on with their lytic cycle by searching for new host cells to

Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses that infect and multiply only in bacterial cells. They are not capable of infecting eukaryotic cells (human, animal, fungus, plants and insects). Phages are the natural predators of bacteria. Like all viruses, phages hijack the energy and cellular machinery provided by a host cell to replicate and make viral copies since they do not have their own metabolism. Endolysin enzyme encoded in the bacteriophage genome lyse the peptidoglycan of the bacterial cell wall during the phage lytic cycle, releasing dozens or hundreds of new phages (7). The cycle continues until there are no bacteria left to attack. Since phages only attack specific types of bacteria, they are unlikely to harm any human cells. In addition,

In the article, Viruses hitch a ride to greater infectivity in insects, written by Salvador Herrera from the University of Valencia, Salvador explains his findings about a certain virus that has infected another virus. This virus to virus interaction actually has benefitted just one of the virus by improving its ability to enter the host, survive in the host, and multiply in a host. The two viruses that Salvador examined where the Iflavirus and Baculovirus. The Iflavirus had infected the Baculovirus, benefitting the Iflavirus to have much more resistant to higher temperature and ultraviolet lights among the attributes mentioned earlier. The article also mentions that the Iflavirus can multiply vertically and horizontally meaning the virus’s

To infect a host cell, the bacteriophage secures itself to the bacteria’s cell wall, precisely on a receptor found on the bacteria’s surface. When it becomes firmly bounded to the cell, the bacterial virus injects its genetic material (its nucleic acid) into the host cell. Relying on the form or group of phage, one of two cycles will occur; the lytic or lysogenic cycle. During a lytic cycle, the phage will make use of the host cell’s chemical energy along with its biosynthetic machinery in order to produce phage nucleic acids (phage DNA and phage mRNA) and phage proteins. Once the construction phase is complete, the phage nucleic acids and structural proteins are then brought together. After a while, certain proteins created within the cell

Viruses are described as the middle ground between what is considered living and non-living. Without a means of replicating within themselves they use the living cells of other organisms to do so. Viruses are essentially genes consisting of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protective coating of protein called a capsid and some viruses are surrounded by a bubble of lipid called an envelope. I believe that although not considered fully living or dead viruses are a crucial part of the biological research of life and have many ties to what is considered living and should not be put aside when researching this topic, and this essay seeks to show this by looking further into the scientific definition of life, the roles of viruses……………………………………………

The protective capsid helps the virus escape detection and destruction during the invasion of the host. When the virus reaches the target cell, biochemical reactions between the capsid and cell wall allow the virus to latch on and inject its genome into the cell’s interior. Once inside, the viral genetic material insinuates itself into the host’s DNA or RNA. In an efficient feat of natural bioengineering, the host cell’s genetic machinery now does the rest of the work for the virus. The cell, which had already been making copies of its own genome, now also replicates that of the virus. Coded within the viral material is the blueprint for making more copies of the viral genome. Further instructions command the production of capsids and directions for assembly of new viruses. After the host cell becomes engorged with viruses, it explodes, sending the new

Lambda phage, also known as enterobacteria phage λ, is a bacteriophage that infects Escherichia coli. The lambda phage has the capability to reside in the genome of its host through lysogeny or to enter a lytic phase, during which it lyses the cell to produce offspring.[1] The phage consists of a capsid, a tail and tail fibres with the head containing the phage 's double-strand linear DNA genome. The genome contains 48,490 base pairs with 12-base single strand segments at both 5 ' ends. However the cos site circularizes the DNA in the host cytoplasm, therefore in its circular form is 48,502 base pairs in length. The lytic cycle is the life cycle that more commonly occurs after most infections. It begins with the attachment of the phage to the host cell allowing it to inject its DNA into the cell. Following this nucleic acid from the phage is replicated causing the phage 's genes to be expressed which allows for the production of phage proteins. These proteins are then assembled into phage particles which are released when the cell undergoes lysis. This lysis is mediated by genes S, R, Rz and Rz, these genes are shown in the diagram below, which work together to break down the cell wall of the host bacterium. Whilst this mode of