Define virulent, list these structures (at least 2), and discuss how these give the bacteria this ability. Additionally, address how this can be both beneficial, and detrimental. 

 

Answer:

Virulence 

Virulence is defined as the relative ability of a microorganism to overcome the host defenses, or the degree of pathogenicity within a specific group or species. Simpy, virulence dictates the severity of a disease specifically.

Viruses can be temperate or virulent. Virulent viruses is capable of killing their host upon their entry through the process of cell lysis whereas temperate viruses somehow restrain and further prolong the cell lysis leading to the replication of viruses when latent stage is reached. 

Always remember that viruses are not animals, plants, or even a bacteria, rather, they are the conventional parasites of the living kingdoms. Although they may seem like living organisms because of their enormous reproductive abilities, viruses are not living organisms in the strict sense. 

Virus structure

Glycoprotein

• The main functions of retroviral glycoproteins are recognition and binding to the cellular virus receptor as well as fusion of viral and cellular lipid membranes in order to further release the viral components into the cytoplasm of the host cell. To further elaborate, Glycoproteins is able to help viruses to avoid the host immune system since glycoproteins found on the surface of the envelope serve to identify and is able bind to the receptor sites on the host's membrane. The viral envelope then fuses with the host's membrane, allowing the capsid together with the viral genome to enter and infect the host cells.

Genome

• A complete virus particle is termed as a virion. The main function of the virion is to deliver its DNA or RNA genome into the host cell so that the genome can be expressed (through the process of transcription and translation) by the host cell. The viral genome is often associated with the basic proteins that are usually packed inside a symmetric protein called capsid.

Capsid

• Capsid served as a protein shell to a virus, capsid is capable of enclosing its genetic material. It consists of several oligomeric (repeating) structural subunits that is made up of protein called protomers. The proteins making up the capsid are called capsid proteins or viral coat proteins (VCP). On the other hand, the capsid and inner genome is called the nucleocapsid.
• The primary functions of the capsid are to protect the functional integrity of the viral RNA when the virion is outside of the host cell and to initiate the infectious process when a receptor on a suitable host cell is being encountered.

 Address how this can be both beneficial, and detrimental. 

Beneficial effects:

Glycoprotein: A viral envelope is the outermost layer of many types of viruses. It is able to protect the genetic material in their life cycle when traveling between host cells. But not all viruses have envelopes. The envelopes are typically derived from some portions of the host cell membranes (which is composed of phospholipids and proteins).

For humans, Viruses having glycoprotein can be beneficial because once they are subject to an environment or medium having a low pH,  viral inactivation will occur through the process of protein denaturation that is why it is useful if the target protein is more resistant to low pHs than the viral impurity.

Genome

All viruses contains genetic material (a genome) mainly composed of nucleic acid. Viruses, on the other hand, may use either RNA or DNA, both of which are types of nucleic acid. Since a viral genome is packed inside a symmetric protein capsid (containinng either of the DNA or RNA), each of them is capable of encoding a single viral gene. Due to this symmetric structure, viruses is able to encode all the necessary information for constructing a large capsid by the use of a a small set of genes.

Capsid

Capsid is able to protect the nucleic acid from the effect several enzymes, this also contains special sites on its surface that allow the virion  attachment to a host cell, and lastly, provides proteins that enable the virion to penetrate the host cell membrane.

Detrimental effects

Glycoprotein: Since it is a protein, it is prone to denaturation. Some viruses, when exposed to an environtment or a medium having low pH, tend to denature spontaneously. 

Genome

If the genome happens to be one regulating cell division, then uncontrolled cell division can occur.

Capsid

Since it is also a protein, it is also prone to denaturation once exposed to acidic environment leading to its lysis and eventually death.

references: (if you need it, thank you and good luck :)  )

Virus Structure (2015) retrieved from https://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/virus.html

Mauricio G. Mateu (2013) Structure and Physics of Viruses: An Integrated Textbook retrieved from https://books.google.com.ph 
 Esteban Domingo (2015) Virus as Populations: Composition, Complexity, Dynamics, and Biological Implications retrieved from https://books.google.com.ph