VIRUSES

Viruses are very small (submicroscopic) infectious particles (virions) composed of a protein coat and a
nucleic acid core. They are obligatory intracellular parasite-that is, they absolutely require living hosts in
order to multiply. They carry genetic information encoded in their nucleic acid, which typically specifies
two or more proteins.

Viruses are entities that:

• The size of viruses range from 20 to 1000 nm in length.

• Contain a single type of nucleic acid either DNA or RNA
• Contain a protein coat (sometimes itself enclosed by an envelope of lipids, proteins and
carbohydrates) that surrounds the nucleic acid.
• Multiply inside living cells by synthesizing machinery of the cell
• Cause the synthesis of specialized structures that can transfer the viral nucleic acid to other cells.
• They lack enzymes for protein synthesis and ATP generation.

Structure of Viruses:

The intact virus unit or infectious particle is called virion. Each virion consists of a nucleic acid core
surrounded by a protein coat to form the nucleocapsid. The nucleocapsid may be naked or may be
surrounded by a loose membrane envelope. It is composed of a number of subunits called capsomeres.

Viruses may be classified into several different morphological types on the basis of their architecture. The
structure of these capsids has been revealed by electron microscopy and a technique called X-ray
crystallography.

Helical Viruses:

Helical viruses resemble long rods that may be rigid or flexible. The viral nucleic acid is found within a
hollow, cylindrical capsid that has a helical structure. The viruses that cause rabies and Ebola hemorrhagic
fever are helical viruses.

Polyhedral Viruses:

Many animal, plant, and bacterial viruses are polyhedral, or many-sided, viruses. The capsid of most
polyhedral viruses is in the shape of an icosahedron, a regular polyhedron with 20 triangular faces and 12
corners. The capsomeres of each face form an equilateral triangle. Eg. Turnip yellow mosaic virus,
Poliovirus, Adenovirus, Papilloma viruses.

Enveloped Viruses:

Enveloped viruses are roughly spherical. When helical or polyhedral viruses are enclosed by envelopes,
they are called enveloped helical or enveloped polyhedral viruses. Eg: Influenza virus, Herpes simplex
viruse.

Complex Viruses:

Some viruses, particularly bacterial viruses, have complicated structures and are called complex viruses.
One example of a complex viruses is a bacteriophage. Some bacteriohages have capsids to which additional
structures are attached. The capsid (head) is polyhedral and the tail sheath is helical. The head contains the
nucleic acid. Another example of complex viruses, which do not contain clearly identifiable capsids but
have several coats around the nucleic acid.

How are viruses classified?

The Baltimore classification is based on genetic contents and replication strategies of viruses. The genetic
material in all types of cells is double-stranded DNA, but some viruses use RNA or single-stranded DNA to
carry genetic information.

According to Baltimore classification, viruses are divided into the following seven classes:

1. dsDNA viruses
2. ssDNA viruses
3. dsRNA viruses
4. (+)-sense ssRNA viruses
5. (-)-sense ssRNA viruses
6. RNA reverse transcribing viruses
7. DNA reverse transcribing viruses

Examples of common viruses:

Current taxonomy of Viruses

Virologists began addressing the problem of viral taxonomy in 1966 with the information of the
International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Since then, the ICTV has been grouping
viruses into families based on (1) nucleic acid type, (2) strategy for replication, and (3) morphology. Below
table presents a summary of the classification of viruses that infect humans.

Families of Viruses that affect humans