Today medical field is working day and night to find out complete cure from many deadly diseases like HIV- AIDS, Influenza, Measles, Hepatitis, Polio, Herpes Simplex, Rabies etc., and one common thing in all these diseases is that all are viral disease. Therefore the question comes here is what is so unique in viruses as compared to bacteria and other pathogens. Lets us look into it. What virus means and what are the unique characteristics of viruses which differentiate them from other pathogens.
Virology is the study of structure, metabolism, classification, evolution of the mode of infection of viruses and of the use of host genetic material and cell for reproduction. The knowledge of viruses is today helping many researchers to find out the therapy for such deadly diseases. By definition, viruses are intra cellular obligatory parasites. It means they can survive only if they are in host and they are non- living creatures when found outside of the host cell. They utilize host genetic and cellular material for their own reproduction. The classification of viruses is based on the host type they infect. For example if the host is bacteria, they are known as bacteriophages, and further classified as per the host plant, animal fungus etc. The most complex viruses are bacteriophages. One more type of classification is found in the viruses. It is based on the geometrical shape of the capsid of the virus. The capsid of viruses is either helix or icosahedrons. Also during this type of classification, structure of virus is considered for examples the presence or the absence of lipid envelop differentiate the virus types. Such type of complex structural geometric forms is not found in bacteria or other pathogens. This is one of the unique characteristics of viruses. Another is that they can only survive in their host which is not the case for bacteria. Today the most widely used classification is based on the Nucleic acid structure. Like DNA viruses and RNA viruses.
Viruses are the smallest microorganisms. They are much smaller than bacteria. The size of viruses ranges from 28 nano meter (nm) up to 465 nm. This also means that they are so small that they cannot be seen through light microscopes. This type of small sizes is another unique characteristic of viruses. So if they are so small how their molecular shape and every detail study is done? The use of modern electron microscope helps to completely study viruses. Also many a times X-ray crystallography and spectroscopy is used for the research in the field of virology. Today with the use of such sophisticated instruments, it is known that there are around two thousand species and around three hundred genera of viruses worldwide.
During the course of virology development, many infectious entities which are even smaller than viruses have been identified. These are sub viral particles and can cause diseases in humans and even animals. These are Viroids which is itself a naked circular RNA molecule capable of infecting plants. This is another unique characteristic of viruses and related entities. Such sub viral particle is nucleic acid molecule either with or without capsid is capable of infection with the help of another virus and is capable to reproduce in host. This type of sub viral entity is known as satellite. Prions are the protein which is also capable of creating abnormal health along with the help of other prions.
Today the many important diseases are caused by viruses. Apart from infectious disease, many viruses have been found which are contributing in the development of cancerous cells. These are known as oncoviruses. Such characteristics of viruses make them unique and different from bacteria with respect to shape, size, mode of reproduction, infection, pathogencity. This all create curiosity among scientist and researcher to study them in every details and to develop a successful treatment therapy against them to help patient to survive from such deadly viral diseases. Many of such techniques and methods of their treatment is being successfully applied all over the world. The main such is vaccination against such diseases. As always prevention is better than cure.
Virology is the study of structure, metabolism, classification, evolution of the mode of infection of viruses and of the use of host genetic material and cell for reproduction. The knowledge of viruses is today helping many researchers to find out the therapy for such deadly diseases. By definition, viruses are intra cellular obligatory parasites. It means they can survive only if they are in host and they are non- living creatures when found outside of the host cell. They utilize host genetic and cellular material for their own reproduction. The classification of viruses is based on the host type they infect. For example if the host is bacteria, they are known as bacteriophages, and further classified as per the host plant, animal fungus etc. The most complex viruses are bacteriophages. One more type of classification is found in the viruses. It is based on the geometrical shape of the capsid of the virus. The capsid of viruses is either helix or icosahedrons. Also during this type of classification, structure of virus is considered for examples the presence or the absence of lipid envelop differentiate the virus types. Such type of complex structural geometric forms is not found in bacteria or other pathogens. This is one of the unique characteristics of viruses. Another is that they can only survive in their host which is not the case for bacteria. Today the most widely used classification is based on the Nucleic acid structure. Like DNA viruses and RNA viruses.
Viruses are the smallest microorganisms. They are much smaller than bacteria. The size of viruses ranges from 28 nano meter (nm) up to 465 nm. This also means that they are so small that they cannot be seen through light microscopes. This type of small sizes is another unique characteristic of viruses. So if they are so small how their molecular shape and every detail study is done? The use of modern electron microscope helps to completely study viruses. Also many a times X-ray crystallography and spectroscopy is used for the research in the field of virology. Today with the use of such sophisticated instruments, it is known that there are around two thousand species and around three hundred genera of viruses worldwide.
During the course of virology development, many infectious entities which are even smaller than viruses have been identified. These are sub viral particles and can cause diseases in humans and even animals. These are Viroids which is itself a naked circular RNA molecule capable of infecting plants. This is another unique characteristic of viruses and related entities. Such sub viral particle is nucleic acid molecule either with or without capsid is capable of infection with the help of another virus and is capable to reproduce in host. This type of sub viral entity is known as satellite. Prions are the protein which is also capable of creating abnormal health along with the help of other prions.
Today the many important diseases are caused by viruses. Apart from infectious disease, many viruses have been found which are contributing in the development of cancerous cells. These are known as oncoviruses. Such characteristics of viruses make them unique and different from bacteria with respect to shape, size, mode of reproduction, infection, pathogencity. This all create curiosity among scientist and researcher to study them in every details and to develop a successful treatment therapy against them to help patient to survive from such deadly viral diseases. Many of such techniques and methods of their treatment is being successfully applied all over the world. The main such is vaccination against such diseases. As always prevention is better than cure.
![[+]](https://www.biotechnologyforums.com/images/netpen-pro/collapse_collapsed.png)