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Ch 19: Virus Structure & Life Cycle for the MCAT: Tutoring Solution

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About This Chapter

The Virus Structure & Life Cycle chapter of this MCAT Prep Tutoring Solution is a flexible and affordable path to learning about virus structure and life cycle. These simple and fun video lessons are each about five minutes long, and they teach the information involving virus structure and life cycle required for the MCAT exam.

How it works:

  • Begin your review or other MCAT preparation work.
  • Identify the virus structure and life cycle concepts that you're stuck on.
  • Find fun videos on the topics you need to understand.
  • Press play, watch and learn!
  • Complete the quizzes to test your understanding.
  • As needed, submit a question to one of our instructors for personalized support.

Who's it for?

This chapter of our MCAT prep tutoring solution will benefit any student who is trying to review virus structure and life cycle and earn acceptable scores. This resource can help students including those who:

  • Struggle with understanding classification of viruses, virus mutation, the life cycle of a virus or any other virus structure and life cycle topic
  • Have limited time for studying
  • Want a cost effective way to supplement their MCAT preparation
  • Prefer learning MCAT topics visually
  • Find themselves struggling with the virus structure and life cycle portion of their review
  • Cope with ADD or ADHD
  • Want to get ahead in their MCAT preparation
  • Don't have access to MCAT review materials

Why it works:

  • Engaging Tutors: We make reviewing virus structure and life cycle simple and fun.
  • Cost Efficient: For less than 20% of the cost of a private tutor, you'll have unlimited access 24/7.
  • Consistent High Quality: Unlike a live MCAT prep tutor, these video lessons are thoroughly reviewed.
  • Convenient: Imagine a tutor as portable as your laptop, tablet or smartphone. Complete your virus structure and life cycle review on the go!
  • Learn at Your Pace: You can pause and rewatch lessons as often as you'd like, until you master the material.

Learning objectives:

  • Review the composition of viruses.
  • Explore the various shapes viruses can have.
  • Find out how viruses are classified.
  • Get an overview of replication of DNA and RNA viruses.
  • Examine how viruses mutate.
  • Brush up on the life cycle of a virus.
  • Learn about bacteriophages.
  • Find out about mechanisms and diseases of the retroviridae virus family, including AIDS.

10 Lessons in Chapter 19: Virus Structure & Life Cycle for the MCAT: Tutoring Solution
Chapter Practice Test
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What Are Viruses? - Definition, Structure & Function

1. What Are Viruses? - Definition, Structure & Function

A virus is defined as a microscopic and extremely infectious agent that invades and spreads, once inside a host. This lesson will dive into virology (the study of viruses), the history and structure of viruses, and how these infections exist in daily life.
Shapes of a Virus: Helical, Icosahedral, Prolate, Complex & Enveloped

2. Shapes of a Virus: Helical, Icosahedral, Prolate, Complex & Enveloped

Overview key descriptions of different viral shapes. Distinguish between the purposes of helical, icosahedral, prolate, enveloped, and complex shapes.
Classification of Viruses: Viral Genome and Replication Scheme

3. Classification of Viruses: Viral Genome and Replication Scheme

Viruses are classified according to their physical and chemical characteristics. Learn about factors involved in classification, including double- and single-stranded viruses, positive and negative sense, the Baltimore classification system, and reverse transcriptase.
Replication of DNA Viruses

4. Replication of DNA Viruses

Replication of DNA viruses occurs when a host cell's polymerase makes mRNA, which is sent back to the host cell's ribosomes. Discover replication strategies, DNA viruses' entry and integration, and the whole process of DNA replication and its release.
Replication of RNA Viruses

5. Replication of RNA Viruses

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule found in cells that does many tasks for the human body, including the transformation of DNA information into proteins. Learn about RNA viruses and their replication strategies. Explore the features and viruses of RNA, such as double-stranded, positive and negative sense, and reverse transcription.
How Viruses Mutate: Antigenic Drift and Antigenic Shift

6. How Viruses Mutate: Antigenic Drift and Antigenic Shift

Viruses mutate and adapt to become more infectious. Explore the different ways viruses mutate, and learn about antigenic drive, antigenic shift, and viral recombination.
The Life Cycle of a Virus: How Viruses Live, Attack & Replicate

7. The Life Cycle of a Virus: How Viruses Live, Attack & Replicate

The life cycle of a virus includes several steps, including attachment, penetration, uncoating, replication, maturation, and release. Explore how viruses live, attack host cells, and replicate, and then learn the difference between lysogenic and lytic life cycles.
Viruses: Bacteriophage Lytic and Lysogenic Cycles

8. Viruses: Bacteriophage Lytic and Lysogenic Cycles

Viruses can infect many organisms, even bacteria. A bacteriophage is a special kind of virus that infects bacteria. Explore the way bacteriophages replicate using the lytic and lysogenic cycle.
HIV and AIDS: Mechanisms and Diseases of the Retroviridae Virus Family

9. HIV and AIDS: Mechanisms and Diseases of the Retroviridae Virus Family

Explore the structure and transmission of the Retroviridae virus family, its mechanisms and related diseases. Learn how HIV replicates itself through reverse transcriptase and the role of protease. Define opportunistic infections and the relationship between HIV and AIDS.
What Is an Acellular Organism? - Definition & Examples

10. What Is an Acellular Organism? - Definition & Examples

Acellular organisms, like viruses, do not have cell structure. Explore cell theory, learn about the definition and examples of acellular organisms, and discover the characteristics of viruses.
Chapter Practice Exam
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Practice Final Exam
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