Biology, Eighth Edition (Raven)

Chapter 27: Viruses

Learning Outcomes

• Understand why viruses are not considered living organisms.
• Review the general structure of viruses, bacteriophages.
• Know the early biological history surrounding the discovery and characterization of viruses.
• Contrast the difference between the replication cycles: lytic cycle versus lysogenic cycle.
• Describe the difference between a retrovirus and DNA virus.
• Describe the actions of a retrovirus and roll of transcriptase.
• Explain the process of viral infection using HIV as an example.
• Describe AIDS infection and treatments.
• Understand the importance and consequences of cell transformation by viruses.
• Give examples of various virally mediated human diseases.
• Explain how prions cause disease.
• Explain how viroids cause disease.