UNSW Cell Biology

Medicine: Society and Health- Viruses

Introduction

There are many different types of viruses, some with only minor transient effects on our health, while others have serious health consequences. Viruses have a range of mechanisms for entering a cell, taking over the cells own machinery to proliferate and then leaving the cell to infect other cells. The most serious viruses incorporate into the cell's own DNA (retroviruses).

More recently, molecular techniques have opened the potential use of viruses for delivering molecular therapeutics to cells.

Viral Genome

There are 2 types of viral genome (RNA or DNA) that range in size from 3,000 (small) to 280,000 (large) base pairs.

RNA genome (Poliovirus, Rubella virus, Yellow fever virus, Measles virus, Influenza virus, Human immunodeficiency virus)

DNA genome (Hepatitis B virus, Human papillomavirus, Adenovirus, Herpes simplex virus, Vaccinia virus)

Student Guide

Brief Study (1-15 minutes)

Start by looking at the online textbooks. These links will give you an introduction to cell Virus and some images.

Detailed Study (15-30 minutes)

Next- more detailed online resources introduce key Virus. Includes a link to a complete set of lecture slides on cell Virus.

In Depth (+30 minutes)

Then- look at the structure and function of Virus.

Includes links to review articles and animations.

Links

Search NLM Online Textbooks- "Virus"

Molecular Biology of the Cell

Molecular Cell Biology

The Cell- A molecular Approach

Related Topics

cell junctions, extracellular matrix, adhesion junctions, membranes, signaling, Virus, Virus, ligands