Topic Content:
- Meaning of Virus
- Characteristics of Virus
- Virus As A Living (Animate ) Thing
- Virus as a Non-living (Inanimate) Thing
What is a Virus?
A virus is a microscopic (extremely small) organism which cannot be seen by an ordinary microscope but only through an electronic microscope.
It does not have a cell structure, it is just made up of a coiled strand of nucleic acid i.e. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) or deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) enclosed within a protein coat.
A virus is seen as both a living and non-living thing. When outside a living cell, it exists as a crystal and becomes non-living but inside the cells of other living organisms, it replicates (produces) and becomes a living organism.
Characteristics of Virus:
i. A virus is microscopic in nature.
ii. It is made up of RNA or DNA.
iii. It cannot reproduce by binary fission.
You are viewing an excerpt of this Topic. Subscribe Now to get Full Access to ALL this Subject's Topics and Quizzes for this Term!
Click on the button "Subscribe Now" below for Full Access!
Subscribe Now
Note: If you have Already Subscribed and you are seeing this message, it means you are logged out. Please Log In using the Login Button Below to Carry on Studying!
Responses