Viruses

1.    Describe the basic structure of a virus.  What are some of the different types of viruses and the diseases they cause?  Why are viruses not considered living organisms?  What is the “virus host range”?  Why is the host range for viruses generally so limited?

2.    Describe the replication cycle (lytic and lysogenic) of a virus.  What are some of the different types of viruses?  How do they differ?  What is a provirus?  A retrovirus?

3.    What type of virus is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)?  Describe the replication cycle of a HIV?   Why is this virus spreading so rapidly through the human population?  How can this spread be prevented?

4.    What role do viruses play in disease?  In what organisms do viruses cause disease?

5.    What role do mutations play in the variation and evolutionary adaptation in bacteria?

6.    Discuss the mechanisms of genetic recombination (Transduction, transformation and conjugation) between bacteria.