GLOSSARY

ON
INSECT VECTORS AND VIROLOGY

PRESENTED BY:
Anjali Suansia
• Acquisition access period:
It is the time for which an initially virus free
vector is allowed to a virus source, i.e. , to virus
infected plant materials OR the period of time
given for the vector to acquire the virus.
• Acquisition feeding period or acquisition
threshold:
It is the feeding period necessary for
successful acquisition of a virus by ban insect
which then become viruliferous (i.e. a time period
that allows the insect to acquire virus naturally
from disease source).
• Activator virus:
Virus that allows the satellite virus to
infect and multiply.
• Antibody:
A protein that produced in response to
injection of a foreign substance (antigen) into
animal body, and that reacts specifically with
that foreign substance.
• Antigen:
A substance which has determinant group
which can interact with specific receptors on
lymphocytes or on antibodies.
• Aphids:
Insects of the family Aphididae (order
Hemiptera). Reproduction is sexual or
parthenogenesis, oviparous or viviparous,
giving rise to complex life cycle.
• Apical meristem:
A group of meristematic cells at the tip
of thallus, stem or root, which divide to
produce the precursor of the cells of primary
tissues of root or shoot.
• Bioassay:
The use of a test organism to measure the
relative infectivity of pathogens or toxicity of
a substances.
• Biotype:
A sub-division of a species consisting of
group of organisms genetically identicals, or
almost identicals.
• Circulative virus:
A circulative virus is one of that passes into
vector through the mouth parts, circulates
internally and enlarges through the salivary
glands. e.g, Tospoviruses, Tenuiviruses.
• Cross protection:
The protection offered by prior, systemic
infection by one virus against infection by a
second related virus. This means to say that it is
the phenomenon in which plant tissues infected
with one strain of a virus ( usually less virulent
one) are protected from infection by other (more
severe ones) strains of same virus.
• Dependent transmission:
Aphids sometimes can transmit; a virus from
an infected plant only if the later is also
infected by a second virus. This is termed as
dependent transmission. Examples of dependent
virus or second virus are PVY (first virus- PVC),
Tobacco vein distoration virus (first virus-
tobacco mottle virus)
• Disease incidence:
It is the frequency of occurrence of a
disease in unit area.
• Disease triangle:
A memory aid that lists the three important
components necessary for disease: Susceptible
plant host, virulent or aggressive pathogen, and
favourable environment.
• Dissemination:
To scatter or diffuse. The transportation of
inoculum from one location to another. Does not
imply either inoculation, ingression, or infection.
• Durable resistance:
Resistance which does not break down within
the commercial life of a cultivar.
• Endemic disease:
A disease permanently established in
moderate or severe form in a defined area.
• Enzootic:
The regular occurrence of disease of animal
with little variation.
• Epicuticula:
A very thin non-chitinouse layer on the outer
surface of cuticula.
• Epidemic:
The occurrence of disease of human being in
abundant and destructive proportion.
• Epidermis:
The outer most later of cell on most plant
organs before the development of periderm.
• Epiphytotic:
The occurrence of disease of plant in
abundant and destructive proportion.
• Epidemiology:
The study of development and spread of
disease and of the factors affecting spread. OR
The science of disease in populations.
• Eradication:
Principle of plant-disease prevention
characterized by destruction or removal of a
pathogen from its source or from an already
established given area.
• Facultative parasite:
An organism normally living as saprophyte but which can
live as parasite.
• Field resistance:
Resistance shown by a plant to natural infection in the
field which is more dependent on the environment and nature
of pathogen and vector than is inoculation in laboratory or
greenhouse.
• Filter chamber:
A part of alimentary canal in Homoptera in which the
anterior end of the mesenteron and beginning of hind intestine
are bound together, providing a means for water and
carbohydrate solutes to pass by diffusion into the hind
intestine without passing through the mesenteron. e.g, Aphid,
mealy bug, psyllid etc
• Hemolymph:
The clear watery liquid in the body cavity of
insects and other invertebrates. The “blood” of
insect.
• Horizontal resistance:
Resistance that operates uniformly against
many races of the pathogen.
• Horizontal transmission:
• Transmission between plants that is
contemporaneous with each other. e.g, cotton leaf
curl virus, okra yellow mosaic virus, tobacco
necrosis virus, tobacco mosaic virus etc.
•
• Incubation period:
That time elapsing between the time of
inoculation and infection (in reference to a plant
pathogen). In general, the period of embryonic
development. The time elapsing between ingestion
of an infectious agent by an insect and the time
when the insect becomes infective.
• Inoculation access period:
It is the time for which a virus carrying
vector is allowed access to a virus free plant
(uninfected plant) and could be feed on it or the
period of time given for the vector to transmit
the virus.
• Inoculation feeding period:
It is the time for which a virus carrying
vectors appears to be feeding on a virus free
plant.

• Infection:
That process in the development of a
disease in which the pathogen becomes
established on suscept and begin to derive its
nourishment from it .
• Latent infection:
An infection that gives no signs and/or symptoms
on the host plant, but which is chronic and in which
host-pathogen relationship is established.
• Latent period:
The time between infection and appearance of
symptoms and/or the production of new inoculum; the
time after a vector has acquired a pathogen (virus)
and before it can be transmitted (i.e. elapsed time
between infection and appearance of disease
symptoms).
Longevity:
Ability to live or survive for a long time.
• Mandibles:
The first pair of appendages composing the
mouth parts of insects. They assume various
forms in different groups of insects.
• Maxillae (the first maxillae):
The second pair of appendages of the mouth
parts of insect.

Ovipositor: The tubular organ of female insects by

means of which eggs are deposited.
• Passive resistance:
Innate resistance which does not entail any
defensive reaction of the host to the presence
of the pathogen.
• Persistence/Retention:
It is the time for which a vector remains
infective after leaving a virus source or length
of time after virus acquisition that the vector
remains viruliferous.
• Siderophores:
Low molecular weight, virtually Fe3+ -specific
ligands produced as scavenging agents in order to
combat low iron stress OR It is the low molecular
wt. compound excreted under low iron condition
which selectively chelates (bind) iron (Fe3+) with
very high affinity.
• Stylet:
A hollow structure used to pierce cells for
feeding, found in many insects and plant parasitic
nematodes.
• Transmission: The transfer of an infectious
agent (usually a virus) from one plant to another.
• Transmission threshold: It is the sum of
acquisition threshold and inoculation threshold.
• Transmission threshold period: It is the
minimum total time that a vector needs to
acquire a virus and inoculate it to a virus free
plant.
• Vector: The regular and specific agent which
carries and transmits the virus.
• Vertical resistance: A high level of host resistance
but one that may be circumvented by the pathogen
and is therefore often race or strain specific.
Vertical transmission: It occurs when plant gets
the pathogen from its parent plant. Either through
asexual propagation (cuttings or grafting) or in
sexual reproduction via infected seeds. E.g, Tobaco
ring spot virus.
• Virescent: A normally white or coloured tissue that
develops chloroplasts and becomes green.
• Virions:
A virus particle, which invades the cells of a
host organism, causing infection.
• Virulence:
The degree of ability to produce disease. A
measure of pathogenicity.
• Viruliferous:
Capable of inducing a virus disease by feeding
on suscept. Infective, in regard to virus diseases.
• Virus:
An ultra microscopic, filterable, infectious
agent consists of a nucleic acid enclosed in protein
coat and able to multiply only within the living cells
of host.