RNA virus

An RNA virus is a virus that either uses RNA as its genetic material, or whose genetic material passes through an RNA intermediate during replication. For example, Hepatitis B virus is classified as an RNA virus, even though its genome is double-stranded DNA, because the genome is transcribed into RNA during replication. The basis for this classification is error-prone RNA replication: All RNA viruses have very high mutation rates because they lack DNA polymerases which can find and edit out mistakes. DNA viruses have considerably lower mutation rates. See also retroviruses.

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Although RNA usually mutates rapidly, recent work found that the SARS virus and related RNA viruses contain a gene that mutates very slowly. The gene in question has a complex three-dimensional structure which is hypothesized to provide a chemical function necessary for viral propagation. (See ribozyme.) If so, most mutations would render it unfit for that purpose and would not propagate.

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Some RNA viruses:

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• Arenaviridae
• Bunyaviridae
• Coronaviridae: SARS
• Flaviviridae: Dengue fever - Hepatitis - West Nile virus - Yellow fever
• Furovirus
• Orthomyxoviridae: Influenza
• Paramyxoviridae: Mumps
• Picornaviridae: Polio
• Pomovirus
• Reoviridae
• Retroviridae: Human Immunodeficiency Virus
• Rhabdoviridae: Rabies - Vesicular stomatitis virus
• Tobamovirus: tobacco mosaic virus
• Togaviridae
• Tymoviridae
• Filoviridae: Ebola
RNA virus: See also ►



 

Virus: :This article is concerned with virus as a biological infectious particle; for other uses of the term see virus (disambiguation). An extensive treatment of the pluralization of the word "virus" in English is found in the article Plural of virus. A list of biological viruses has also been prepared. ...

RNA: Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid consisting of a string of covalently-bound nucleotides. It is biochemically distinguished from DNA by the presence of an additional hydroxyl group, attached to each pentose ring. While RNA usually contains uracil instead of thymine, this is not always true, f...

Genetic material: Genetic material is the material used to store genetic information for a living organism....




RNA virus related Images and Photos (experimental)

Virus	DNA & RNA	T-Virus Shirt	T-Virus Shirt
T-Virus Shirt	Papilloma Virus	End of Days / Virus Double Feature	Rabies Virus Showing its Characteristic Bullet Shape
Vaccinia or Pox Virus	Papilloma Virus. Hpv May Cause Warts or Papillomas in Various Parts of the Body	Tobacco Mosaic Virus Tmv the Cause of Leaf Mosaic Disease in Tobacco Plants	Taking Virus from the Calf Illustration from Harper's Weekly in 1872