MBIO 4410 Lecture 1:
21 Jan 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
MBIO 4410
Lecture 1
Course Evaluation
- Midterm 30%
- Term Paper 30%
- Final (Semi cumulative) 40%
Current worst viruses
• Ebola
• HIV
• WNV
Historical bad viruses
• Smallpox
• Measles
• Spanish flu
(subject to interpretation – many ways to measure which one is worse than the next)
What is a virus?
Comparison of Virus to Other Small Biologics (MEMORIZE THIS)
Bacteria
Rickettsia
Chlamydia
Mycoplasma
Virus
Growth on life-less media
+
-
-
+
-
Contain DNA and RNA
+
+
+
+
-1
Possess enzymes for
Intermediary metabolism
+
+
-
+
-
Possess ribosomes
+
+
+
+
-2
Susceptible to antibiotics
+3
+
+
+
-
Interferon
-
-
+
-
+
Replicate by Binary Fission
+
+
+
+
-
1 Virions have DNA or RNA * some break the rules
• Virions (the structure of the virus) contains both DNA and RNA
• Not a good way to distinguish
2 Some viruses, while during their maturation can pick up cellular ribosomes - not a good way to
differentiate between virus and bacteria
3 Antibiotic resistance - there are some antiviral therapies (but they don’t work on bacteria)
If you go to the doctor for a viral infection, why do they prescribe the antibiotics
• They don’t know it’s a virus
• Placebo - make the patient feel better (often works)
• Protect from secondary infections that might be caused by bacteria - also contributing to
antibiotic resistance
