Virology

1
Virology

• Introduction
• Viral Structure

2
Virology - Introduction

• Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites
• Viruses are considered nonliving because they
  cannot reproduce on their own
• Viruses contain DNA or RNA either of which is
  double or single stranded

3
Virology - Introduction

• Host Range
• Refers to range of tissue virus can infect
• Most viruses can only infect a specific type of
  tissue within a host
• Host range is determined by receptors found on
  found on tissue cell surfaces

4
Virology - Introduction

• Viral Size
• Determined by electron microscopy viruses cannot
  be seen under light microscope
• Viruses range from 20 to 10000 nm

5
Defenses - Interferons

• Antiviral proteins
• 3 types alpha, beta gamma
• Produced by virus infected cell and migrate to
  uninfected cells that then produce antiviral
  proteins
• Host cell specific but not virus specific