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