Why is virus replication unique?

2 Answers
Feb 25, 2018

The replication done by a virus allows more mutations which are possibly beneficial to the virus.

Explanation:

Citing an example of a retrovirus, which contain single stranded
RNA which first convert to DNA and then can then be transcribed to mRNA that will eventually lead to the production of proteins.

virus has no metabolic machinenry not any protein so it requires the form host that s why the division is unique

Feb 27, 2018

Viruses are non-living obligate parasites that are composed of a protein coat which contains genetic material, either DNA or RNA. They cannot make new viruses on their own. They must enter and take over a host cell in order to replicate new viruses.

Explanation:

Viruses are non-living obligate parasites that are composed of a protein coat which contains genetic material, either DNA or RNA. They cannot make new viruses on their own. They must enter and take over a host cell in order to replicate new viruses. The viral genome takes over the cell's transcription, translation, and protein synthesis mechanism so that it will produce and assemble new viruses. Eventually the cell bursts and releases the new viruses, killing the cell.

Sometimes viruses don't always kill their host cells. Instead, they become dormant, when years later they may reactivate. This is the case with the Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV), the chicken pox virus, when it infects nerve cells. Years later it may reactivate and cause shingles.

Interesting fact: Everyone has diphtheria bacteria in their throats. However, they do not cause diphtheria unless they are infected with a certain bacteriophage (virus that infects bacteria), which causes the diphtheria bacteria to produce the diphtheria toxin, which causes the symptoms of diphtheria, which can be deadly.