PART I .

INTRODUCTION

A. Background
Viruses are tiny organisms that may lead to mild to severe illnesses in humans,
animals and plants. This may include flu or a cold to something more life threatening like
HIV/AIDS. The virus particles are 100 times smaller than a single bacteria cell. The
bacterial cell alone is more than 10 times smaller than a human cell and a human cell is
10 times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair. (Citra)

B. Problems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What are viruses?

How does the viruses infect me?
If someone sick with viruses, what do he do?
Are the medicine that can help someone who sick caused viruses?
How can he stop spreading a virus?

C. Purposes
Learning objectives viruses :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Can explain the title of virus body structure

May explain how the viruses life
May explain how the viruses reproduction
Capable of knowing and understanding the characteristics and structure of the viruses
Able to explain replicating viruses
To determine the role of viruses and harmful favorable for life
Can identify the types of diseases caused by viruses

PART II. EXPLAINATION

1.

The Definition of Virus

1

Sub microscopic entity consisting of a single nucleic acid surrounded by a protein coat
and capable of replication only within the living cells of bacteria, animals or plants. Viruses have
one major characteristic in common: they are obligate intracellular parasites. Viruses are
UNABLE to grow and reproduce outside of a living cell. No virus is able to produce its own
energy (ATP) to drive macromolecular synthesis. However, in many other respects, they are a
highly diverse group.
Characteristics of Viruses
a. The tiniest viruses are 20 nm in diameter. (smaller than a ribosome). The size of viruses

b. They consist of nucleic acids enclosed in a protein coat and sometimes a membranous
envelop.
c. The genomes (sets of genes) maybe

Double stranded DNA

Single stranded DNA

Double stranded RNA

Single stranded RNA

d. They are called either a DNA or RNA virus depending on the type of nucleotide in the
make-up.
e. They may be linear or circular
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f.

The smallest have only 4 genes and largest have several hundred.

g. Capsid a protein shell that covers the viral genome. They may be

Rod-shaped

Polyhedral

More complex

Capsids are built from large numbers of protein subunits called capsomer. The most
complex capsids are found in viruses that infect bacteria bacteriophages (T1-T7). They have
a protein tail piece with tail fibers that attach to the bacterium
The Structure of Virus

Lipid Envelope
Protein
Capsid
Virion
Associated
Polymerase

Nucleic Acid
Spike
Projections

Structural classis of Viruses

a. Icosahedral capsids

a.)

Crystallographic

structure

of

simple

icosahedral

virus.

The axes of symmetry

b. Helical symmetry

TMV

filamentous
virus
Enveloped
helical

virus

Enveloped icosahedral

virus
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2.

The Way Viruses can Infect Humans

Viruses are everywhere in the environment (from soil to water to air) waiting for a host

cell to come along. Viruses can enter our bodies through our nose, mouth, or any breaks in the
skin like a paper cut or a scratch. Once they make it inside, they search around for a cell to
infect. A cold or flu virus will target cells that line the respiratory (i.e. the lungs) or digestive (i.e.
the stomach) tracts.
The HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) that causes AIDS attacks the T-cells (a type of
white blood cell that fights infection and disease) of the immune system. Bacteriophages attack
bacteria (prokaryotes) and viruses attack eukaryotic cells. Viruses and bacteriophages invade
cells and use the host cell's machinery to synthesize more of their own macromolecules. Once
inside the host the bacteriophage or virus will either go into a Lytic Cycle - destroying the host
cell during reproduction or It will go into a

Lysogenic Cycle a parasitic type of partnership

with the cell.

Reproduction occurs using lytic or lysogenic cycles
The Lytic Cycle

The Lysogenic Cycle

Culminates in the death of the

host cell

without destroying the host cell.

Virulent viruses reproduce only

by lytic cyle.

Natural
bacterial

Replication of the viral genome

A

temperate

virus

may

reproduce by either cycle.

selection
mutations

favors

with

Lambda virus:

resembles T4

but only has a single short tail

receptor sites that are resistant

fiber

to a particular phage or that

have restriction enzymes to
destroy the phages.

The Lytic Cycle

The Lysogenic Cycle

3.

The Condition of Humans Body when

Infected by Viruses
When youre infected with a virus, you have a bunch of foreign particles roaming around

inside you. Your immune system recognizes these invaders and produces antibodies.
Antibodies are proteins that bind to the viral particles and prevent them from attaching to new
cells, therefore stopping them from further replication.
The immune system can also detect infected cells and sends white blood cells to destroy
them before more viral particles are released. This immune response continues until all of the
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viral particles are eliminated from your body. Once a virus has "infected" a cell, it will "marshal"
the cell's ribosomes, enzymes and much of the cellular machinery to reproduce. Unlike what we
have seen in mitosis and meiosis, viral reproduction produces many, many progeny, that when
complete, leave the host cell to infect other cells in the organism.
The link between viral infection and the symptoms it produces is often obscure.

Some viruses damage or kill cells by triggering the release of hydrolytic enzymes
from lysosomes.

Some viruses cause the infected cell to produce toxins that lead to disease
symptoms.

Other have molecular components, such as envelope proteins, that are toxic.

In some cases, viral damage is easily repaired (respiratory epithelium after a cold), but in
others, infection causes permanent damage (nerve cells after polio).

4.

The Medication for Sick with Viruses

Even though many people think that taking antibiotics will help you if you have a viral
infection, this is not the case. Antibiotics work by interfering with the reproduction of new
cells, but as weve already learned, viruses do not themselves make new cells, so antibiotics
cant stop them from reproducing.
Although antibiotics dont help, there are immunizations that will. Immunizations, also
called vaccines, work by pre-infecting your body so it will recognize the viral particles and be
able to destroy them as soon as they enter the body. Since there are so many different types of
viruses and because they are always changing, new vaccines are always being created to make
sure that the viruses dont get out of control.
Vaccines can help prevent viral infections, but they can do little to cure most viral
infection once they occur. Antibiotics which can kill bacteria by inhibiting enzyme or processes
specific to bacteria are powerless again viruses, which have few or no enzymes of their own.
Some recently-developed drugs do combat some viruses, mostly by interfering with viral
nucleic acid synthesis.

AZT interferes with reverse transcriptase of HIV.

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5.

Acyclovir inhibits herpes virus DNA synthesis.

The Solution To Avoid Viruses

We know that viruses can live for a long time outside of a host, waiting for a perfect
opportunity of infection to come along. The way a virus spreads is different for each type of
virus. Some spread through the air, while others may travel in a carrier organism (flea,
mosquito), spread by direct transfer of bodily fluids (blood, sweat, saliva, mucus) or can be
found on surfaces on which body fluids have dried. Some viruses may even be present in water
sources such as rivers, ponds, lakes and wells. The water may look clean and clear, but
remember how small viruses are we wouldnt be able to see them even if they were there!

PART III. CLOSING

A. Conclucion
1.

The virus particles are 100 times smaller than a single bacteria cell. The bacterial
cell alone is more than 10 times smaller than a human cell and a human cell is 10

2.

times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair.

Viruses by themselves are not alive. They cannot grow or multiply on their own and

3.

need to enter a human or animal cell and take over the cell to help them multiply.
A virion (virus particle) has three main parts:
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Nucleic acid this is the core of the virus with the DNA or RNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid and ribonucleic acid respectively). The DNA or RNA holds all of the

4.

information for the virus and that makes it unique and helps it multiply.
Protein Coat (capsid) This is covering over the nucleic acid that protects it.
Lipid membrane (envelope) this covers the capsid. Many viruses do not have

this envelope and are called naked viruses.

The way a virus spreads is different for each type of virus.

B. Recommendation
To reduce the risk of spreading or getting a virus, try to do the following:

Cover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze.

Wash your hands often, especially after going to the bathroom, blowing your

nose and before eating or preparing food.

Avoid contact with the bodily fluids of others. For example, do not share a

toothbrush or a water glass with others.

Do not drink untreated water from sources that may be contaminated.

By following these simple suggestions, you lessen the chances a virus has to sneak inside of
you and therefore reduce the risk of letting a virus make you sick!

BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-a-Virus.aspx
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/cellular-microscopic/virus-human2.htm
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/cellular-microscopic/virushuman4.htm
www.safewater.org