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virus

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences | 1998 | | © A Dictionary of Plant Sciences 1998, originally published by Oxford University Press 1998. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

virus A type of non-cellular ‘organism’ which has no metabolism of its own. It consists mainly or solely of a nucleic acid genome (RNA or DNA) enclosed by protein; in some cases there is also a lipoprotein envelope. In order to replicate (multiply), a virus must infect a cell of a suitable host organism where it redirects the host-cell metabolism to manufacture more virus particles. The progeny viruses are released, with or without concomitant destruction of the host cell, and then can infect other cells. All types of organism, from bacteria to humans, are susceptible to infection by viruses; virus infections may be asymptomatic or may lead to more or less severe disease.

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