what makes up the innermost core of a virus structure mader up of course hero

by Mr. Candelario Abbott MD 10 min read

What is the innermost core of a virus structure made up of?

virion, an entire virus particle, consisting of an outer protein shell called a capsid and an inner core of nucleic acid (either ribonucleic or deoxyribonucleic acid—RNA or DNA). The core confers infectivity, and the capsid provides specificity to the virus.

What makes up the core of all viruses?

A virus is made up of a core of genetic material, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protective coat called a capsid which is made up of protein. Sometimes the capsid is surrounded by an additional spikey coat called the envelope.

What is the core of a virus called?

Virus Core Structure

The larger viruses contain in a core the nucleic acid genome complexed with basic protein(s) and protected by a single- or double layered capsid (consisting of more than one species of protein) or by an envelope (Fig. 41-5).

What is the inside of a virus called?

A virus is made up of a DNA or RNA genome inside a protein shell called a capsid. Some viruses have an external membrane envelope. Viruses are very diverse. They come in different shapes and structures, have different kinds of genomes, and infect different hosts.

What molecules make up a virus?

In the simpler viruses the virion consists of a single molecule of nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat, the capsid; the capsid and its enclosed nucleic acid together constitute the nucleocapsid. In some of the more complex viruses the capsid surrounds a protein core (Fig.

What is the basic structure of a virus?

Viruses are much smaller than bacteria and consist of a single- or double-stranded nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein shell called a capsid; some viruses also have an outer envelope composed of lipids and proteins. They vary in shape. The two main classes are RNA viruses and DNA viruses.

How does the structure of a virus relate to its function?

The capsid has three functions: 1) it protects the nucleic acid from digestion by enzymes, 2) contains special sites on its surface that allow the virion to attach to a host cell, and 3) provides proteins that enable the virion to penetrate the host cell membrane and, in some cases, to inject the infectious nucleic ...

What determines the shape of the capsid or core of a virus?

The amount and arrangement of the proteins and nucleic acid of viruses determine their size and shape. The nucleic acid and proteins of each class of viruses assemble themselves into a structure called a nucleoprotein, or nucleocapsid.

How does the structure of a virus differ from that of a cell?

Cells have a double stranded DNA molecule and many strands of single stranded RNA as the copies. Viruses, however, can have double stranded DNA, single stranded DNA, double stranded RNA, or single stranded RNA. They convert RNA to DNA and then back to RNA to make proteins, which does not happen inside cells.Dec 6, 2021

What makes a virus a virus?

A virus is an infectious microbe consisting of a segment of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. A virus cannot replicate alone; instead, it must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of itself.

How are viruses formed?

Viruses may have arisen from mobile genetic elements that gained the ability to move between cells. They may be descendants of previously free-living organisms that adapted a parasitic replication strategy. Perhaps viruses existed before, and led to the evolution of, cellular life.

What structures are present in viruses but not cells?

Viral Morphology

Therefore, they lack most of the components of cells, such as organelles, ribosomes, and the plasma membrane. A virion consists of a nucleic acid core, an outer protein coating or capsid, and sometimes an outer envelope made of protein and phospholipid membranes derived from the host cell.

What is the particle of a virus?

Since viruses are not cells, they are structurally much simpler than bacteria. An intact infectious viral particle is called a virion and consists of: a genome, a capsid, and often an envelope.

What is the envelope of a virus?

Most animal viruses also have an envelope surrounding a polyhedral or helical nucleocapsid that is typically derived from host cell membranes by a budding process and are called enveloped viruses. Specific proteins or glycoproteins on the viral surface are used to attach viruses to the surface of its host cell.

What is a bacteriophage?

Bacteriophages are viruses that only infect bacteria. Some bacteriophages are structurally much more complex than typical nucleocapsid or enveloped viruses and may possess a unique tail structure composed of a base plate, tail fibers, and a contractile sheath (also see Figure 10.3. 1 C and Figure 10.3. 2 E ).

What is the role of the viral genome?

The viral genome is a single or segmented, circular or linear molecule of nucleic acid functioning as the genetic material of the virus. It can be single-stranded or double-stranded DNA or RNA (but almost never both), and codes for the synthesis of viral components and viral enzymes for replication. It is also becoming recognized that viruses may play a critical role in evolution of life by serving as shuttles of genetic material between other organisms.

What is the function of nucleic acid?

The viral nucleic acid functions as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP). Binding of viral PAMPs to host cell pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) triggers the synthesis and secretion of anti-viral cytokines called type-1 interferons that block viral replication within infected host cells.

Where are TLRs found in the cell?

The TLRs for viral components are found in the membranes of the phagosomes used to degrade viruses during phagocytosis.

What is the function of the capsid?

The capsid serves to protect and introduce the genome into host cells.

What are viruses made of?

All viruses contain nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA (but not both), and a protein coat, which encases the nucleic acid. Some viruses are also enclosed by an envelope of fat and protein molecules.

What are the two shapes of viruses?

There are predominantly two kinds of shapes found amongst viruses: rods, or filaments, and spheres. The rod shape is due to the linear array of the nucleic acid and the protein subunits making up the capsid. The sphere shape is actually a 20-sided polygon (icosahedron).

What is the function of the capsid?

They are closely associated with the nucleic acid and reflect its configuration, either a rod-shaped helix or a polygon-shaped sphere. The capsid has three functions: 1) it protects the nucleic acid from digestion by enzymes, 2) contains special sites on its surface that allow the virion to attach to a host cell, and 3) provides proteins that enable the virion to penetrate the host cell membrane and , in some cases, to inject the infectious nucleic acid into the cell's cytoplasm. Under the right conditions, viral RNA in a liquid suspension of protein molecules will self-assemble a capsid to become a functional and infectious virus.

How are viruses classified?

Viruses are generally classified by the organisms they infect, animals, plants, or bacteria. Since viruses cannot penetrate plant cell walls, virtually all plant viruses are transmitted by insects or other organisms that feed on plants. Certain bacterial viruses, such as the T4 bacteriophage, have evolved an elaborate process of infection. The virus has a "tail" which it attaches to the bacterium surface by means of proteinaceous "pins." The tail contracts and the tail plug penetrates the cell wall and underlying membrane, injecting the viral nucleic acids into the cell. Viruses are further classified into families and genera based on three structural considerations: 1) the type and size of their nucleic acid, 2) the size and shape of the capsid, and 3) whether they have a lipid envelope surrounding the nucleocapsid (the capsid enclosed nucleic acid).

Why is genomic RNA considered a plus strand?

In most, the genomic RNA is termed a plus strand because it acts as messenger RNA for direct synthesis (translation) of viral protein. A few, however, have negative strands of RNA.

How does a virus' tail work?

The virus has a "tail" which it attaches to the bacterium surface by means of proteinaceous "pins.". The tail contracts and the tail plug penetrates the cell wall and underlying membrane, injecting the viral nucleic acids into the cell.

How do viruses survive without a host?

Without a host cell, viruses cannot carry out their life-sustaining functions or reproduce. They cannot synthesize proteins, because they lack ribosomes and must use the ribosomes of their host cells to translate viral messenger RNA into viral proteins. Viruses cannot generate or store energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but have to derive their energy, and all other metabolic functions, from the host cell. They also parasitize the cell for basic building materials, such as amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids (fats). Although viruses have been speculated as being a form of protolife, their inability to survive without living organisms makes it highly unlikely that they preceded cellular life during the Earth's early evolution. Some scientists speculate that viruses started as rogue segments of genetic code that adapted to a parasitic existence.

Where are the structural proteins of the viral genome inserted?

Following replication and sub-genomic RNA synthesis, the viral structural proteins, S, E, and M are translated and inserted into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These proteins move along the secretory pathway into the endoplasmic reticulum–Golgi intermediate compartment (ERGIC) [ 52, 53 ]. There, viral genomes encapsidated by N protein bud into membranes of the ERGIC containing viral structural proteins, forming mature virions [ 54 ].

What is the largest group of viruses?

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are the largest group of viruses belonging to the Nidoviralesorder, which includes Coronaviridae, Arteriviridae, Mesoniviridae, and Roniviridaefamilies. The Coronavirinaecomprise one of two subfamilies in the Coronaviridaefamily, with the other being the Torovirinae.

What protein binds to the nucleocapsid?

The M protein also binds to the nucleocapsid, and this interaction promotes the completion of virion assembly. These interactions have been mapped to the C-terminus of the endodomain of M with CTD of the N-protein [ 62 ]. However, it is unclear exactly how the nucleocapsid complexed with virion RNA traffics to the ERGIC to interact with M protein and become incorporated into the viral envelope. Another outstanding question is how the N protein selectively packages only positive-sense full-length genomes among the many different RNA species produced during infection. A packaging signal for MHV has been identified in the nsp15 coding sequence, but mutation of this signal does not appear to affect virus production, and a mechanism for how this packaging signal works has not been determined [ 22 ]. Furthermore, most coronaviruses do not contain similar sequences at this locus, indicating that packaging may be virus specific.

What is the fifth structural protein?

A fifth structural protein, the hemagglutinin-esterase (HE), is present in a subset of β-coronaviruses. The protein acts as a hemagglutinin, binds sialic acids on surface glycoproteins, and contains acetyl-esterase activity [25].

What is the most abundant protein in the virion?

The M protein is the most abundant structural protein in the virion. It is a small (~25–30 kDa) protein with three transmembrane domains [ 11] and is thought to give the virion its shape. It has a small N-terminal glycosylated ectodomain and a much larger C-terminal endodomain that extends 6–8 nm into the viral particle [ 12 ]. Despite being co-translationally inserted in the ER membrane, most M proteins do not contain a signal sequence. Recent studies suggest the M protein exists as a dimer in the virion, and may adopt two different conformations, allowing it to promote membrane curvature as well as to bind to the nucleocapsid [ 13 ].

What is the 3′ UTR?

The 3′ UTR also contains RNA structures required for replication and synthesis of viral RNA.

How many respiratory tract infections are caused by a virus?

These viruses are endemic in the human populations, causing 15–30 % of respiratory tract infections each year. They cause more severe disease in neonates, the elderly, and in individuals with underlying illnesses, with a greater incidence of lower respiratory tract infection in these populations.

Where does the inner core grow?

Growth is more concentrated around subduction zone s—regions where tectonic plate s are slipping from the lithosphere into the mantle, thousands of kilometers above the core.

Which hemispheres are divided into the inner core?

Just like the lithosphere, the inner core is divided into eastern and western hemisphere s. These hemispheres don’t melt evenly, and have distinct crystalline structures.

How hot is the outer core?

The NiFe alloy of the outer core is very hot, between 4,500° and 5,500° Celsius (8,132° and 9,932° Fahrenheit).

How hot is the core?

In general, temperatures range from about 4,400° Celsius (7,952° Fahrenheit) to about 6,000° Celsius (10,800° Fahrenheit).

What material moved quickly during the iron catastrophe?

The iron catastrophe allowed greater, more rapid movement of Earth’s molten, rocky material. Relatively buoyant material, such as silicate s, water, and even air, stayed close to the planet’s exterior. These materials became the early mantle and crust. Droplets of iron, nickel, and other heavy metal s gravitate d to the center of Earth, becoming the early core. This important process is called planetary differentiation.

What is the core of Earth?

core. Earth’s core is the very hot, very dense center of our planet. The ball-shaped core lies beneath the cool, brittle crust and the mostly-solid mantle. The core is found about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) below Earth’s surface, and has a radius of about 3,485 kilometers (2,165 miles).

Is the inner core a solid or a plasma?

The temperature of the inner core is far above the melting point of iron. However, unlike the outer core, the inner core is not liquid or even molten. The inner core’s intense pressure—the entire rest of the planet and its atmosphere—prevents the iron from melting. The pressure and density are simply too great for the iron atoms to move into a liquid state. Because of this unusual set of circumstances, some geophysicists prefer to interpret the inner core not as a solid, but as a plasma behaving as a solid.

What are the two lines of defense against germs?

Your body has a two-line defence system against pathogens (germs) that make you sick. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, toxins, parasites and fungi. Microorganisms that live all over your skin can’t get through your skin unless it’s broken.

What are neutrophils?

Neutrophils. These are white blood cells that can find, kill and ingest pathogens seeking an entrance into the body. You may now like to read this article The body's second line of defence. Explore topics. Explore concepts. Citizen science.

Is the first line of defence physical or chemical?

This survey will open in a new tab and you can fill it out after your visit to the site. Yes. No. The first line of defence (or outside defence system) includes physical and chemical barriers that are always ready and prepared to defend the body from infection.

Definition

Image
Viruses are not plants, animals, or bacteria, but they are the quintessential parasites of the living kingdoms. Although they may seem like living organisms because of their prodigious reproductive abilities, viruses are not living organisms in the strict sense of the word.
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Life cycle

  • Without a host cell, viruses cannot carry out their life-sustaining functions or reproduce. They cannot synthesize proteins, because they lack ribosomes and must use the ribosomes of their host cells to translate viral messenger RNA into viral proteins. Viruses cannot generate or store energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but have to derive their energy, and all othe…
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Structure

  • All viruses contain nucleic acid, either DNA or RNA (but not both), and a protein coat, which encases the nucleic acid. Some viruses are also enclosed by an envelope of fat and protein molecules. In its infective form, outside the cell, a virus particle is called a virion. Each virion contains at least one unique protein synthesized by specific gen...
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Classification

  • Viruses are generally classified by the organisms they infect, animals, plants, or bacteria. Since viruses cannot penetrate plant cell walls, virtually all plant viruses are transmitted by insects or other organisms that feed on plants. Certain bacterial viruses, such as the T4 bacteriophage, have evolved an elaborate process of infection. The virus has a \"tail\" which it attaches to the bacteri…
See more on micro.magnet.fsu.edu

Morphology

  • There are predominantly two kinds of shapes found amongst viruses: rods, or filaments, and spheres. The rod shape is due to the linear array of the nucleic acid and the protein subunits making up the capsid. The sphere shape is actually a 20-sided polygon (icosahedron).
See more on micro.magnet.fsu.edu

Discovery

  • The nature of viruses wasn't understood until the twentieth century, but their effects had been observed for centuries. British physician Edward Jenner even discovered the principle of inoculation in the late eighteenth century, after he observed that people who contracted the mild cowpox disease were generally immune to the deadlier smallpox disease. By the late nineteenth …
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Signs and symptoms

  • The Influenza (Flu) Virus - Next to the common cold, influenza or \"the flu\" is perhaps the most familiar respiratory infection in the world. In the United States alone, approximately 25 to 50 million people contract influenza each year. The symptoms of the flu are similar to those of the common cold, but tend to be more severe. Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle weakness and pain, …
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Introduction

  • The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) - The virus responsible for HIV was first isolated in 1983 by Robert Gallo of the United States and French scientist Luc Montagnier. Since that time, a tremendous amount of research focusing upon the causative agent of AIDS has been carried out and much has been learned about the structure of the virus and its typical course of action. HIV i…
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