Biology 1001A Chapter Notes - Chapter 23: Reverse Transcriptase, Cell Membrane, Dna Virus
4 Oct 2016
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Read chapter sections 23. 1, 23. 3, and 23. 4 from the text, with special attention to pg. On multiple choice exams, you should be able to identify: characteristics of viruses and why they are not generally considered to be alive . Made of nuclear molecule surrounded by protein coat or capsid. Can be single or double stranded rna or dna. Lack complex cellular structures (i. e. plasma and plasma membrane) Undergo replication process: why viral infections are usually difficult to treat with drugs, and exceptions to this general principle. Infect host cell and therefore host cell must be targeted. High rate of mutation (reverse transcriptase has no proof-reading capabilities) capabilities) Influenza has 8 randomly assembled pieces that make it virtually invisible. Exceptions: viruses that inject their own polymerases, as reverse transcriptase can be used as a target that won"t harm the host cell (it"s a unique feature) Generally, stages of viral replication process are targeted: whether viruses are always pathogenic.
