Key Takeaways

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.