Cell Structure & Function
- Cell Wall
- Extracellular Matrix
- Cell Junctions
- Tight Junctions
- Desmosomes
- Adhesion Plaques
- Gap Junctions
- Chemical Synapses
- Cytoplasm
- Cytoskeleton
- Glycolysis
- Microtubules
- Microfilaments
- Intermediate Filaments
- Centrioles
- Muscle Contractions
- Cytoplasmic Ribosomes
- Some Lab Sites
- General Links
- Mitochondria
- Endoplasmic Reticula
- Golgi
- Lysosomes
- Peroxisomes (Animals)
- Glyoxysomes (Plants)
- Chloroplasts
- Vacuoles
- Other
- Some Lab Sites
- General Links
- Membrane Proteins
- Endocytosis
- Exocytosis
- Phagocytosis
- Pinocytosis
- Transport
- Some Lab Sites
Animal
Plant
Bacteriophages
Infection
Viruses interact with surface proteins on a potential host cell and subsequently gain entry in a process called infection.
Replication
Viruses utilize two pathways to replicate. One is the lysogenic pathway, where an infected cell divides normally, thus copying any virual DNA it contains (see also Provirus). The second is the lytic pathway, where the virus takes over its host's cellular machinery to manufacture viral proteins, assemble new viral particles, and burst the host cell to exit.
Virus Replication - Replication cycle of HIV.
Provirus
Once viral DNA has been incorporated into the host chromosome, it is said to be a provirus. A cell containing a provirus can function normally and produce new viral progeny by budding without lysing. Or, a provirus can disrupt the host cell cycle, causing uncontrolled growth (malignancies). Alternatively, a provirus can lie dormant until a specific signal such as UV radiation causes it to become lytic (See also Replication).