What

is a virus?
Week 1, Session 2
Virology I: How viruses work
Prof. V. Racaniello

What is a virus?

An infec&ous, obligate intracellular parasite

Viral genome contains informaBon to iniBate and

complete an infecBous cycle within a cell

All viral genomes are able to establish themselves in a

host populaBon so that viral survival is ensured

Package genome in a parBcle for transmission from

host to host

Are viruses alive?

hGp://www.virology.ws/are-viruses-alive/
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The virus and the virion

A virus is an organism with two phases

virion

infected cell

2009 ASM Press

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As virions are obligate molecular parasites, every soluBon

must reveal something about the host as well as the virus

2009 ASM Press

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Be careful: Avoid anthropomorphic analyses

Viruses do NOT think!

(or employ, ensure, exhibit, display, etc...)
They do not achieve their goals in a human-centered manner
They survive because they make huge numbers of mutants, and
selecBon removes the ill-adapted

Viruses are very small

Carbon atom

myosin acBn
1,000,000x
E. coli

100,000x
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How many viruses can t on the head of

a pin?

2 mm = 2000 microns

500 million rhinoviruses

When you sneeze, you re an aerosol that contains
enough viruses to infect thousands
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2009 ASM Press

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Mimivirus par>cles can be seen by

light microscopy

giantvirus.org
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Viruses replicate by
assembly of pre-formed
components into many
par>cles
Make the parts,
assemble the nal product

Not binary ssion like cells

2009 ASM Press

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Images from Principles of Virology

2009 American Society for Microbiology
Are used with permission
No further reproducBon or distribuBon is permiGed
without the prior wriGen permission of the
American Society for Microbiology

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