Microbiology Study Guide 1

DISCLAIMER: This study guide is not an exhaustive list. Use the questions below to fine-tune your preparation for Exam 2 on Tuesday March 19th, 2015. You still are responsible to read ALL the materials we covered during lecture, in your notes and learning activities.

Chapter 13

1. Explain how viruses are different from living things.

* Viruses do not need to process nutrients for energy and rely on host cells to make new virus particles,( they do not do energy processing and reproduction)

2. Identify the parts of a virus.

* All viruses have some type of nucleic acid – either DNA or RNA. The nucleic acid contains the instructions necessary for making more virus particles.

* All viruses have a protein coat that covers and protects that nucleic acid. The protein coat is sometimes called a capsid.

* SOME viruses have a phospholipid membrane called an envelope surrounding the protein coat. Viruses that have an envelope are called enveloped viruses. Viruses that do not have an envelope are called naked viruses.

–Know the different types of nucleic acids.

* Double‐stranded DNA (or dsDNA) -one strand contains information for making viral proteins, the other is complementary.

* Single‐stranded DNA (or ssDNA) – the one strand contains information for making viral proteins.

* Double‐stranded RNA (or dsRNA) - one strand contains information for making viral proteins, the other is complementary.

* Single‐stranded positive sense RNA (or +ssRNA) - contains information for making viral proteins.

* Single‐stranded negative sense RNA (or –ssRNA) - It is a single strand of RNA is complementary to a + ssRNA. In other words, it contains the instructions of viral proteins, but backward.

–Identify which type of nucleic acids are found in both living cells and viruses, and which are only found in viruses.

In both living cells & viruses | Only in Viruses |

ds DNA | ss DNA |

+ssRNA(mRna in living cells) | dsRNA |

| -ssRNA |...