Lect_11_Viruses_Bio Microbes_2010课件.pptVIP

TA_SGMPT_CHigher Certificate in Science – GMP Technology Viruses Viruses: Infectious Agents of Bacteria, Animals and Plants Dr. Gerard Colleran What are viruses? A simple biological agent Composed of a nucleic acid core (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat Contains some enzymes and some surface proteins Viruses have a wide range of shapes Diagram and Electron Microscopic Image of the Influenza Virus Diagram and Electron Microscopic Image of the Rabies Virus How did viruses evolve? We do not know for certain how viruses came into being No fossilised viruses have ever been found It is possible that they originated from degraded cells We know that all the HIV viruses originated from one common ancestor and mutations introduced changes in the different viral types Are viruses alive? Is a Virus Alive? They have genomes, are capable of reproducing, they make proteins, they replicate their genomes, and have evolved over time. However, they cannot do any of this without a host cell. Viruses are therefore biological enigmas. They are considered obligate intracellular parasites that exist in a state of suspended animation until they infect a host cell. Swine flu – not just pig! Diseases related to virus infections Viral Infections may lead to a range of problems Damage to the liver Hepatitis, HIV Damage to the nervous system Impairment of the immune system - HIV Cancer – Leukaemia, Cervical Cancer What diseases are caused by viruses? Do viruses move, excrete, metabolise etc. like other life forms? No Viruses are spread about on air, in blood, in semen, in saliva, in food, in water, on dirt but they themselves do not move They are particles that are infectious They do not excrete and they do not metabolise. They simply infect and reproduce How do viruses reproduce or multiply? Viruses multiply inside cells They are obligate intracellular parasites They cannot be grown on agar media, they must be cultivated in cells The cell in which a virus resides