MICROBIOLOGY EXAM PREP QUESTIONS
ANSWERS BUNDLED SOLUTIONS HIGH
QUALITY PRACTICE MATERIAL
●● virus composition
Answer: 2 basic components:
- genomic material (DNA or RNA)
- capsid
●● capsid
Answer: membrane-like protective structure that contains genetic
material (similar to nucleus)
- most viruses have icosahedral/ helical structure
- fewer viruses have complex structure
●● viral genome
Answer: small, can be either double or single-stranded
- may be circular or linear
- size varies from few thousand to 2.5 million nucleotide base pairs
,●● DNA viral genome
Answer: - circular or linear
- often double stranded
●● RNA viral genome
Answer: - linear or segmented
- often single stranded
●● virion size
Answer: smaller than a cell
●● envelope
Answer: additional membrane to external env. surrounding capsid,
derived from host cell membrane
eg. most animal viruses
●● naked (non-enveloped)
Answer: a virus simply surrounded by protein capsid and no envelope
eg. most plant/bacteria-infecting viruses
, ●● paramyxoviruses
Answer: causative agent of measles & mumps, contain single-stranded
linear genome & fuse w/ host cell membrane to initiate entry & viral
replication
- enveloped, spherical, ~100-150 nm
●● orthomyxoviruses
Answer: causative agent of flu, contain 8 segments of RNA & enter host
cell via endocytosis
- enveloped, spherical, ~100-150 nm
●● factors grouping viral families
Answer: - DNA or RNA genome
- capsid shape (icosahedral, helical, complex)
- enveloped or naked
- structure of genome (circular, linear, segmented)
- in RNA: presence or absence of reverse transcriptase
●● microscopy to view virus
Answer: electron microscopy