What is Virus BMLT
Introduction of Virus
- Viruses are microbes that cannot be seen by wearing naked eyes.
- The study of viruses is called virology.
- A single virus is called a virion
- Virus is the smallest, obligate, intracellular infective agent
- Two types of nucleic acids are found in virus.
- Viruses multiply by complex presses not by binary fission.
- Viruses do not do any metabolic activity outside the living cell.
- Viruses grow only on living cells, do not grow on artificial media
- No particular cell wall and cellular enzymes are found in the virus.
Size of Virus
- Its size is 10um- 300um
- Virus particles are called viruses.
- The largest virus is the small pox virus, whose size is 300 cm.
- The smallest virus is Parvo virus, whose size is 10-17um.
Structure:-
- Each cell contains nucleic acid which is coated by a protein called capsid.
- When nucleic acid is enclosed with capsid it is called nucleocapsid.
- The capsid is made up of a large number of protein subunits called capsomeres.
- Some viruses also have an envelope that covers the nucleic acid, which is a lipoprotein in nature.
Shape :-
There are different types of shapes like Brick Shape, Bullet Shape, Rod Shape etc.
Symmetry:-
These are three types
- Icosahedral
- Helical
- Complex
1. Icosahedral
Aquilateral is triangular in shape with 12 vertices and corners and 20 facts.
Example :- Parvo Virus, Picorna Virus.
2. Helical :-
The spring is written with nucleic acid and the capsomere connects with the spirals tube.
Example :- All RNA virus
3. Complex :-
Both icosahedral and helical are not.
Example :- Pox Virus