HERPESVIRIDAE Meaning and
Definition
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Herpesviridae refers to a large family of double-stranded DNA viruses that belongs to the order Herpesvirales. This family encompasses a diverse group of viruses, most of which are known to infect mammals, including humans. Herpesviridae is characterized by its ability to establish lifelong, latent infections within their host.
The viruses within this family have a complex structure, consisting of an envelope surrounding an icosahedral capsid. They possess a linear DNA genome that integrates into the host cell's nucleus, where it replicates using host cellular machinery. Herpesviridae viruses are notable for their ability to establish latency, a dormant state in which the viral genome persists within the host cell without producing new viral particles. This latency allows the virus to evade clearance by the immune system and periodically reactivate, leading to recurrent infections.
Herpesviridae is divided into three subfamilies: Alphaherpesvirinae, Betaherpesvirinae, and Gammaherpesvirinae. Each subfamily exhibits distinct biological characteristics and is associated with specific human and animal diseases. Common human diseases caused by herpesviruses include oral and genital herpes, chickenpox, shingles, infectious mononucleosis, and various types of cancer.
Due to their widespread prevalence and potential to cause chronic infections, herpesviruses pose significant health concerns. Research efforts are focused on understanding the molecular mechanisms of herpesvirus replication, latency, pathogenesis, and developing antiviral therapies to combat these infections.
Common Misspellings for HERPESVIRIDAE
- gerpesviridae
- berpesviridae
- nerpesviridae
- jerpesviridae
- uerpesviridae
- yerpesviridae
- hwrpesviridae
- hsrpesviridae
- hdrpesviridae
- hrrpesviridae
- h4rpesviridae
- h3rpesviridae
- heepesviridae
- hedpesviridae
- hefpesviridae
- hetpesviridae
- he5pesviridae
- he4pesviridae
- heroesviridae
- herlesviridae
Etymology of HERPESVIRIDAE
The word "Herpesviridae" has its roots in the Greek language. "Herpes" (ἕρπης) in Greek means "to creep" or "to crawl". It refers to the characteristic nature of the herpes viruses to remain in a dormant or latent state within the infected host for a prolonged period before becoming active.
The suffix "-viridae" is derived from the Latin word "viridae", which means "family" or "group". It is commonly used in the taxonomic classification of viruses that belong to the same family.
Thus, the term "Herpesviridae" essentially means "family of creeping or crawling viruses", reflecting the distinctive behavior of herpes viruses.
