virus

Introduction

Organisms that lack an independent metabolism & are incapable of growth or reproduction apart from living cells. Viruses may be infectious. A complete viral particle usually contains DNA or RNA but NOT both & a protein shell or capsid that surrounds the nucleic acid. Viruses range in size for 15 nm up to several hundred nm, thus are generally not visible under light microscopy.

More general terms

• organism

More specific terms

• bacteriophage
• defective virus
• DNA virus
• hemorrhagic fever virus
• metapneumovirus (MPV)
• oncogenic virus
• oncolytic virus
• RNA virus

Additional terms

• antiviral agent
• computer virus
• viral culture
• viral infection
• virus isolation