Biology 1001A Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Reverse Transcriptase, Antiviral Drug, Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte De Buffon
22 Oct 2016
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Document Summary
Characteristics of viruses and why they are not generally considered to be alive. A virus is simply one or more nucleic acid molecules surrounded by a protein coat or capsid. Some capsids may be enclosed within a membrane or envelope derived from their host cell"s membrane. It does not have a cytoplasm enclosed by a plasma membrane. Protein subunits assemble in a rodlike spiral around the genome. Coat proteins form triangular units that fit together like the parts of a soccer ball. Recognition proteins enabling the virus to attach to host cells extend from the surface of infectious viruses. Viruses cannot reproduce on their own and lack a metabolic system to provide energy for their life cycles; instead, they depend on host cells that they infect for these functions. Why viral infections are usually difficult to treat with drugs, and exceptions to this general principle. Hidden inside host cells and use host cell machinery to replicate.
