Botany Studies Botany Studies – Botany is the study of plants and here you can get full educational definition and complete information related to botany. we provide full information about Plant Physiology, Plant Morphology, Plant Ecology, Plant Diversity, Plant Families, Photosynthesis And Botanical classification of plants
CLASSIFICATION OF VIRUSES
Different types of plant, animal and bacterial viruses are classified on the basis of morphology, cover and nucleic acid properties.
Genetic Material:
The genetic material may be DNA or RNA
Cover:
The genetic material may be naked, enveloped or complex.
Morphology:
On the basis of morphology viruses are classified into rod shaped (T.M.V), spherical (poliovirus), tadpole like (bacteriophage) and many more figure.
RETROVIRUSES (ONCOVIRUSES)
RNA tumor viruses are widely distributed in nature. These produces tumor in the fowls, rodents, cats and many other animals. The most familiar virus is the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).
- Structure:
They are single stranded RNA viruses which are spherical in shape and about 100 nm in diameter. They are enveloped by host plasma membrane.
Characteristics:
Retroviruses have following characteristics:
Host Specificity:
A few retroviruses are non-specific and can infect any cell. Most of them infect host cells that have required receptors.
In the case of AIDS virus, the host cell has a receptor that allows viral adsorption and penetration types of leukocytes (white blood cells) and tissue cells.
Reverse Transcriptase:
The retroviruses have a special enzyme called reversetranscriptase. It can convert a single stranded RNA genome into double stranded viral DNA.
Mode of Action:
The DNA of the retrovirus infects the host cells. They also unite with host genome as a provirus that can be passed to progeny cells. In this way some of the retroviruses can convert normal cells into cancer cells.