KEY TAKEAWAYS •
Viruses have different shapes and sizes. They must replicate within a host cell.
•
Viruses that infect bacteria are called bacteriophages.
•
Viruses can cause lysis of a cell or can alter the cell in different ways without killing them.
•
Viral life cycles start with attachment and penetration, followed by biosynthesis, maturation, and release or lysis of the cell.
•
Transduction involves the passage of host DNA through a viral vector.
•
There are several ways of detecting viruses in a human serum sample.
•
Viroids, virusoids, and prions are simpler than viruses but are still infectious diseases.
54