Lesson 6: Virus Uncoating
Virus uncoating is the process where a virus sheds or removes or alters its protective protein coat (capsid) to release its genetic material inside a host cell, initiating the infection.…
Lesson 7: Virus Genome replication and Gene expression
Virus genome replication and gene expression are critical steps in the viral life cycle that enable the production of new viral particles. These processes vary depending on the type of…
Lesson 8: Virus Assembly
Virus assembly is the process by which newly synthesized viral components—genomic nucleic acids and structural proteins—come together to form new virions (complete virus particles) within an infected host cell. This…
Lesson 9: Virus Maturation
Virus maturation is the final stage of the viral life cycle where newly assembled virions undergo biochemical and structural changes to become fully infectious. Maturation is crucial because, in many…
Lesson 10: Virus Release
Virus release is the final step in the viral replication cycle, where newly formed virions exit the host cell to infect new cells. The release mechanism varies depending on the…
Lesson 1: General features of viral genomes
What Do Viral Genomes Look Like? The viral genome is the nucleic acid-based repository of the information needed to build, reproduce, and transmit a virus A universal function of viral…
Lesson 2: Information is encoded or not encoded in viral genomes
Viral genomes encode specific information crucial for the virus’s life cycle, but they are often streamlined and rely on the host’s cellular machinery for many functions. Information Encoded in Viral…
Lesson 3: Characteristics of Viral DNA genomes
Viral DNA genomes come with distinct characteristics that define their structure, replication strategy, and how they interact with the host. Here are the key characteristics of viral DNA genomes: 1.…