Viruses Brainstorm ^🔗

Structure of Viruses ^🔗

• Glue the diagram into the centre of a page
• We will make notes around the outside
• A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacteria, specifically
• Other viruses infect normal body (somatic) cells

Movement ^🔗

• Viruses cannot move of their own free will
• They rely on their host to move them around
• Movement of fluid, air currents, etc.

Respiration ^🔗

• Viruses do not do aerobic or anaerobic respiration
• They do not metabolize food to release energy

Sensitivity ^🔗

• Viruses are somewhat sensitive to their environment
• Their replication can be slowed or stopped through controlling temperature, for example

Growth ^🔗

• Viruses do not produce their own proteins
• They rely on a host cell to do that work for them

Reproduction ^🔗

• Viruses do not perform binary fission or any other type of reproduction
• They infect a host cell with their own DNA or RNA
• This genetic material hijacks the cell, causing it to build more viruses
• The host cell then dies

Excretion ^🔗

• Viruses do not perform excretion, as they do not do respiration
• Therefore, they do not have any byproducts to excrete

Nutrition ^🔗

• Viruses do not do nutrition, because they have no need for food
• They do not need food because they do not do respiration (for growth and reproduction)

Ngohe / Task ^🔗

• Use your device to research the purpose of the cellular structures that we did not discuss:
  • Protein coat
  • Tail
  • Fibres
  • Membrane envelope