DEFECTIVE VIRUSES Meaning and
Definition
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Defective viruses refer to a type of virus that is incapable of causing infection or replicating on their own due to significant genetic abnormalities or deletions. These viruses lack some essential components necessary for independent viral replication, leaving them dependent on other fully functional viruses to complete their life cycle. They are often referred to as "defective" or "incomplete" because they possess limited or fragmented genetic material.
A defective virus typically contains a partial or altered viral genome, lacking vital genes responsible for essential viral functions such as protein synthesis or viral particle production. Consequently, defective viruses are unable to initiate a productive infection in host cells, as they are unable to generate all necessary components required for viral replication and spread.
However, while defective viruses are replication incompetent, they can still be produced in the presence of helper viruses. These helper viruses provide the missing components or functions required for the assembly and replication of the defective viral particles. This dependence on helper viruses distinguishes defective viruses from fully functional viruses.
Although defective viruses do not cause active infection in their own right, they can have significant interactions with the immune system and the progression of diseases caused by fully functional viruses. Defective viruses are also of great interest in virology research as they can be valuable tools for studying viral replication, gene expression, and the host immune response to viral infection.
Common Misspellings for DEFECTIVE VIRUSES
- sefective viruses
- xefective viruses
- cefective viruses
- fefective viruses
- refective viruses
- eefective viruses
- dwfective viruses
- dsfective viruses
- ddfective viruses
- drfective viruses
- d4fective viruses
- d3fective viruses
- dedective viruses
- decective viruses
- devective viruses
- degective viruses
- detective viruses
- derective viruses
- defwctive viruses
- defsctive viruses
Etymology of DEFECTIVE VIRUSES
The term "defective viruses" does not have a specific etymology, as it is a descriptive phrase rather than a word with a distinct origin. However, understanding the etymology of individual components may help.
- "Defective" comes from the Latin word "defectivus", meaning "lacking" or "imperfect". It is derived from the verb "deficere", which means "to fail" or "to be lacking".
- "Viruses" is derived from the Latin word "virus", which originally referred to a slimy liquid or poison. It later came to be associated with infectious substances.
When combined, "defective viruses" refers to viruses that have genetic mutations or deletions, resulting in them lacking certain functions necessary for replication or causing disease.
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