Question

after party questions (answer after you finish video)
use the word bank to fill in the blanks below. not all terms in the word bank will be used.

word bank
antibiotics, hiv, lyse, pesticides,
antivirals, host, larger, smaller,
capsid, immune system, lysogenic, specific,
gene therapy, infections, lytic, trigger,
genetic material, injects, mutate, viral

viruses are not typically considered to be a living thing because they lack many characteristics of life, although there is debate about whether they should be classified as nonliving as well. unlike bacteria or fungi, viruses cannot be treated with 1. ____ or antifungal medications because they are not living. viruses are much 2. __ than cells and cannot be classified as prokaryotes or eukaryotes because they lack cellular structure. all viruses share a common feature: they possess 3. __ and they have a protein coat called a 4. __. some viruses may have additional structures, such as special enzymes or an outer envelope, which aid in their replication. viruses cannot replicate without a 5. __. they are highly 6. ____ to the host they infect, but any living organism can be a host as long as it has the necessary machinery for viral replication.

two types of viral replication cycles are the lytic cycle and the lysogenic cycle. in the 7. ____ cycle, the virus attaches to a host cell and 8. __ its genetic material. the infected cell then uses its own resources to produce copies of the virus, eventually causing the host cell membrane to 9. __, releasing the new viral copies to infect other cells. the 10. __ cycle is characterized by the viral genetic material remaining hidden within the host’s genetic material. as the host cell reproduces, it replicates both its own genetic material and the 11. __ genetic material. this cycle can continue indefinitely, but it can 12. ____ the lytic cycle, leading to the production of more viruses.

the common cold usually needs to run its course as the immune system typically takes care of it. however, some viruses, like 13. ____, can be extremely dangerous and complicated. hiv targets specific cells, such as helper t cells, which play a crucial role in the 14. __. leaving the infected person vulnerable to other 15. __. although there are medications to slow down hiv replication, the virus can 16. ____, making treatment challenging.

viruses can have positive applications, such as 17. ____, and some viruses can target harmful insects, potentially serving as an alternative to chemical 18. ____. however, it is important to consider the consequences of any type of pesticide on the ecosystem.

extension
compare the lytic cycle with the lysogenic cycle in the venn diagram below.

images of venn diagram and cycle diagrams follow

Explanation:

To solve this fill - in - the - blank problem about viruses, we analyze each blank based on the knowledge of virology (a sub - field of Biology, which is part of Natural Science) and the given word bank:

Blank 1

Viruses are different from bacteria and fungi. Antibiotics are for bacteria and antifungals are for fungi. Since viruses are not bacteria or fungi, they can't be treated with antibiotics or antifungals. So the answer is "antibiotics".

Blank 2

Viruses are much smaller than cells. This is a well - known fact about the size of viruses relative to cells. So we fill in "smaller".

Blank 3

All viruses have genetic material (either DNA or RNA). This is a fundamental characteristic of viruses. So the answer is "genetic material".

Blank 4

The protein coat that surrounds the genetic material of a virus is called a capsid. So we use "capsid" here.

Blank 5

Viruses are obligate parasites, which means they cannot replicate without a host (a living organism that the virus infects). So the answer is "host".

Blank 6

Viruses are highly specific to the host they infect. That is, a particular virus will usually infect only certain types of hosts. So we fill in "specific".

Blank 7

In the lytic cycle, the virus attaches to a host cell and injects its genetic material. The lytic cycle is one of the two viral replication cycles. So the answer is "lytic".

Blank 8

When a virus enters the lytic cycle, it attaches to a host cell and injects its genetic material into the host cell. So we use "injects".

Blank 9

In the lytic cycle, after the new viruses are produced, the host cell membrane lyses (breaks open), which releases the new viral copies. So the answer is "lyse".

Blank 10

The other viral replication cycle is the lysogenic cycle. In this cycle, the viral genetic material remains hidden in the host's genetic material. So we fill in "lysogenic".

Blank 11

In the lysogenic cycle, as the host cell reproduces, it replicates both its own genetic material and the viral genetic material. So the answer is "viral".

Blank 12

The lysogenic cycle can trigger the lytic cycle. This means that under certain conditions, the lysogenic cycle can switch to the lytic cycle. So we use "trigger".

Blank 13

HIV is a very dangerous and complicated virus. It targets specific cells of the immune system. So the answer is "HIV".

Blank 14

Helper T cells play a crucial role in the immune system. HIV infects Helper T cells, which impairs the immune system. So we fill in "immune system".

Blank 15

When the immune system is impaired by HIV, the infected person becomes vulnerable to other infections. So the answer is "infections".

Blank 16

HIV can mutate, which means its genetic material can change. This makes it difficult to develop a cure or an effective treatment. So we use "mutate".

Blank 17

Gene therapy is one of the positive applications of viruses. Viruses can be used as vectors in gene therapy to deliver genetic material into cells. So the answer is "gene therapy".

Blank 18

Some viruses can target harmful insects, and this can be an alternative to chemical pesticides. Pesticides are used to kill pests, and using viruses as a biological control can be an alternative. So we fill in "pesticides".

Answer:

s for each blank:

1. antibiotics
2. smaller
3. genetic material
4. capsid
5. host
6. specific
7. lytic
8. injects
9. lyse
10. lysogenic
11. viral
12. trigger
13. HIV
14. immune system
15. infections
16. mutate
17. gene therapy
18. pesticides