Chapter 20, Problem 17STP

Summary Introduction

To write: The benefit of viruses from their small size and simple composition

Introduction: Viruses are known to infect and harm all types of living organisms. A virus is a nonliving strand of genetic material within a protein coat. Viruses have no organelles to take in nutrients or use energy, they cannot make proteins, they cannot move, and they cannot replicate on their own.

Explanation of Solution

Viruses are some of the smallest disease-causing structures that are known. They are so small that powerful electron microscopes are needed to study them. Most viruses range in size from 5 to 300 nm. It would take about 10,000 cold viruses to span the period at the end of this sentence. Virus is a small size infectious agent and basic structure that can only replicate in animal, plant, or bacterial living cells. Viruses must translate viral mRNA into viral proteins using the ribosomes of their host cells. Some viruses cause sexually transmitted diseases- such as genital herpes and AIDS. These viruses can be spread through sexual contact. Diseases caused by these viruses have no cure or vaccine to prevent them.

Conclusion

Viruses are some of the smallest disease-causing structures that are known. They are so small that powerful electron microscopes are needed to study them.