INOVIRIDAE Meaning and
Definition
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Inoviridae is a family of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect bacteria, specifically known as bacteriophages. Bacteriophages are viruses that exclusively infect bacteria and are considered to be the most abundant biological entities on Earth. The family Inoviridae includes phages that are characterized by the presence of long, flexible tail-like appendages called pili, which they use to attach to their bacterial hosts.
Members of the Inoviridae family typically have a linear genome that is enclosed within a protein coat called a capsid. This capsid is filamentous or rod-like in shape and surrounds the genomic DNA. These phages vary in size, typically ranging from 800 to 1000 nanometers in length.
The infection cycle of Inoviridae phages involves the attachment of their pili to specific receptors on the surface of the bacterial cell, followed by the injection of their genomic DNA into the host. Once inside, the viral DNA utilizes host machinery to replicate and produce viral progeny. The newly synthesized phage particles are then released through either the host cell lysis or a process called extrusion, where the phages emerge from the host cell without causing immediate cell death.
Inoviridae phages play a crucial role in controlling bacterial populations in various environments, including aquatic ecosystems and the human gut. They have also been extensively studied for their potential applications in phage therapy, which involves using bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections in humans and animals.
Common Misspellings for INOVIRIDAE
Etymology of INOVIRIDAE
The word "Inoviridae" is derived from "inovirus" and "idae".
The term "inovirus" comes from the initials of the original name "Infection of unclassified nature Virus" which was used to describe a group of bacteriophages that could infect bacteria. It was coined by C. Thomas in 1930, who first characterized these viruses. The "ino" part in "inovirus" is derived from the word "infection", indicating that these viruses cause infections.
The suffix "idae" is commonly used in biology to denote a family rank in taxonomy. It originates from the Latin word "idae", which means "family". In this case, the suffix is added to form the family name "Inoviridae" for a group of viruses belonging to the family Inoviridae, which contains the inoviruses.
