Question

• 1. What are the growth requirements for a virus and how does this differ from bacteria?
• 2. Define acute, latent, chronic, and viral oncogenesis. Provide an example of each.
  

Answer 1

1. Virus requires living host cell for growth. The major difference between viruse and bacteria is that viruses require a living host like a plant or animal for growth but most bacteria can grow on non-living surfaces, it does not require living host. viruses are intracellular organisms but bacteria are intercellular organisms which means they live in between cells. Some bacteria are useful but all viruses are harmful. Viruses are very smaller in size than bacteria.

2. Acute- A disease which develops rapidly but lasts only for a short period of time, like influenza. Some accute diseases do not require hospitalization.

Latent - The pathogen remains inactive for a time but may be re-activated due to some changes in their immune system under some conditions. Herpes virus (cold sores).

Chronic- A disease which develops slowly, & the symptoms may be less at initial stages but it continues for a longer period, like Glandular fever, Hepatitis B.

Viral oncogenesis- Viral oncogenesis is a virus that cause cancer in animals including humans. Example- Hepatitis B virus, Epstein Barr virus.