Virology VIVA Question and Answer with mnemonics

1) What is the genome present inside the virus?

• Either DNA or RNA but not both.

2) What is the genome present in Coronavirus?

• RNA

3) Can we observe virus in general laboratory using a light microscope?

• No, they are too small whose size ranges from 20-250 nm in size. To see the virus, we need an electron microscope.

4) What is the protective coat like structure present in the virus called?

• Capsid

5) What is capsid made of? 

• Capsomeres
• They are the smaller subunit of protein.

6) What is capsomere made of?

• Protomers. It’s the polypeptide chain.

7) What are the different shapes of viruses ?

• Spherical
• Oval
• Filamentous
• Pleomorphic

8) Antibiotics should be used against bacteria or viruses?

• Bacteria only.

Read Also: Mycology VIVA Question and Answer

9) What are bacteriophage?

• The virus that infects bacteria are known as bacteriophage or phage.

10) What is viremia?

• The presence of virus in blood is known as viraemia.

11) What is virion?

• It is a complete virus particle that is infectious.

12) What are pseudovirions ?

• Pseudovirions are the viruses which enclose host cell nucleic acid instead of viral nucleic acid.

13) What are viroids?

• Viroids are protein-free fragments of single-stranded, circular RNA that cause disease in plants.

14) What is viropexis?

• The receptor-bound virus is taken inside the cell through the process of endocytosis which is known as viropexis.

15) What are prions?

• Prions are the proteinaceous infectious particles which can transmit a disease.

16) What is the cytopathic effect?

• When the cell is infected by virus, visible change occurs in the appearance of target cells which is known as cytopathic effect.

17) Can we grow viruses in artificial media?

• No.
• Viruses are not capable of independent growth in artificial media.
• They can grow only in cells of animals or plants or in micro-organisms.

18) What is the difference between the lytic cycle and the lysogenic cycle?

• Lytic cycle: Lysis of the host cell, releasing the new phages to infect other host cells.
• Lysogenic cycle: Incorporation of the viral DNA into the host DNA, no lysis of the cell.

19) Example of a single-stranded DNA virus.

• Parvovirus    @Mnemonics: PARVati is single DoN.

20) Example of double-stranded RNA virus. 

• Reovirus  @Mnemonics: REad RNA double time.

21) What are the difference between positive-strand (positive sense) and negative-strand (negative sense).

• Depending on the method of mRNA transcription, single-stranded RNA viruses are classified as + and – strand.
• + strand (sense ) RNA virus : Viral RNA itself acts as the mRNA and is translated directly into viral proteins in host cell cytoplasm.
• – strand (sense ) RNA virus : Need to be converted first into + sense RNA then only translation occurs.

22) Outline the process of virus replication?

• Attachment ( or adsorption )
• Penetration ( or uptake )
• Uncoating
• Biosynthesis
• Assembly
• Release

23) Give examples of DNA virus:

• Poxvirus
• Herpes virus
• Hepadna virus
• Parvovirus
• Adenovirus
• Papovavirus  @Mnemonics: PARVati HelPed HER  PAPa ADding fOX who was DoN ( DNA) .

24) Give examples of an RNA virus: 

• Retrovirus
• Coronavirus
• Toga virus
• Picornavirus
• Calci virus
• Orthomyxo virus
• Paramyxo virus
• Rhabdo virus
• Arenavirus
• Bunyavirus
• Reovirus  @Mnemonics: BaNYA ARE REading RNA OR CALL TO CORONA PICORNA

25) Give examples of some antiviral drugs. 

• Acyclovir
• Valacyclovir
• Penciclovir
• Ganciclovir
• Azidothymidine
• Ribavirin   @Mnemonics: AuNTI VIRA saw RIAZ‘s “PEN” GANg on A CYCle  taking Drugs   

26) Give examples of viruses having icosahedral shape?

• Poliovirus
• Rhinovirus
• HIV
• Herpes virus
• Adenovirus        @ Mnemonics: HI ISA  ADd  HER RHINo Post

27) Give example of helical viruses.

• Influenza virus
• Rabies virus
• Tobacco mosaic virus

28) Example of a complex virus:

• Poxvirus

29 ) Example of plant virus:

• Tobacco Mosaic Virus
• Cauliflower Mosaic Virus
• Alfalfa Mosaic Virus

30) Example of a bacterial virus:

• λ phage
• T4 phage

31) Example of an insect virus:

• Arbo virus
• Flavi virus

32) Example of animal and human virus:

• HIV
• Rabies virus
• Pox virus
• Influenza virus
• Herpes virus

Read Also: VIVA Alert: Basic Microbiology with mnemonics

33) Define the term:

• Dermatotropic virus: Virus that affects the skin and skin tissue.  Examples: Poxvirus, Measles virus
• Viscerotropic virus: Virus that affects visceral organ. Examples: Hepatitis B virus, HIV, Cytomegalovirus, Polyomavirus
• Neurotropic virus: Virus that affects nerve and nervous tissue. Examples: Poliovirus, Rabies virus, Dengue virus, Japanese Encephalitis virus
• Enteric virus: Viruses that affect the tissue of intestine . Examples: Rotavirus and Picornavirus
• Respiratory virus: Viruses that affect the tissue of the respiratory tract. Examples: Influenza virus, Parainfluenza virus, Respiratory syncytial virus, Rhinovirus

34) Intracytoplasmic Inclusion bodies produced in Viral infection:

• Negri bodies: Rabies virus
• Molluscum bodies: Molluscum contagiosum virus
• Guarnieri bodies: Vaccinia virus
• Bollinger bodies: Fowlpox virus
• Perinuclear cytoplasmic acidophilic bodies: Reovirus

35) Intranuclear Inclusion bodies produced in Viral infection :

• Owl eye inclusion bodies: Cytomegalovirus
• Cowdry type A inclusion bodies: Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) and measles virus
• Intranuclear basophilic: Adenovirus
• Acidophilic inclusion bodies: Papova virus

References and Sources

• Parija SC (2016), Textbook of Microbiology and Immunology, 3rd edition, Elsevier India.
• Pelczar MJ, Chan ECS, Krieng NR (1993), Microbiology, 5th edition, Tata McGraw Hill Publication.
• Mandal PK (2016), A Textbook of Microbiology for Nursing, 2nd edition, Vidyarthi Pustak Bhandar.
• 1% – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/double-stranded-rna-virus
• 1% – https://www.bartleby.com/solution-answer/chapter-24-problem-1tyu-biology-mindtap-course-list-11th-edition/9781337392938/the-genome-of-a-virus-consists-of-a-dna-b-rna-c-prions-d-dna-and-rna-e-dna-or-rna/d5e93725-560e-11e9-8385-02ee952b546e
• 1% – https://www.atsu.edu/faculty/chamberlain/website/diseases.htm
• 1% – https://quizlet.com/143905453/biol-2240-chapter-3-flash-cards/
• <1% – https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/viroids
• <1% – https://www.khanacademy.org/science/high-school-biology/hs-human-body-systems/hs-the-immune-system/v/viral-replicaiton-lytic-vs-lysogenic
• <1% – https://www.differencebetween.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Difference-Between-Positive-and-Negative-Sense-RNA-Virus.pdf
• <1% – https://quizlet.com/42323838/micro-chapter-25-rna-viruses-flash-cards/
• <1% – https://quizlet.com/337288140/micro-exam-chapter-13-flash-cards/
• <1% – https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/inclusion+bodies