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Viruses can infect all types of life forms:animals, plants and microorganisms, including bacteria
Latin: virus = referring to POISON or NOXIOUS LIQUID
"organisms at the edge of life"Considered a life form because they:* carry genetic material* reproduce* evolve through natural selection
NOT considered a life form because they* do not have their own metabolism* cannot naturally reproduce outside a host cell* reproduce through self assembly (not cell division)
Virology (a sub-speciality of microbiology)studies viruses
When outside of a host cell viruses are independent
particles known as VIRIONS
Protein coat; protects the genetic material
lipid coat; protects the capsid when outside of a living cell
Viral infections in animals trigger an immune response that usually eliminates the infecting virus
Some antiviral drugs have been developed
Antibiotics have NO effect
Vaccines: confer an artificially acquired immunity to the specific viral infection
Means of spreadingVectors: disease bearing organisms
However, viruses including those that cause AIDS and VIRAL HEPATITIS avoid these immune
responses and cause chronic infections
They are "protected" from medicines,
which usually move through your bloodstream
Viral infections are hard to treat because
viruses live inside your body's cells
The Viral Life Cycle
Other Infectious Agents
VIROIDS: the smallest infectious pathogens know composed of a short strand of circular, single-stranded, RNA without protein coat. -Affect plants
PRION: an infections agent composed entirely of protein material, called PrP (short for prion protein), that can fold in multiple, structurally distinct ways, at least one of which is transmissible to other prion proteins, leading to disease-Affect animals/humans