Viruses and Their Characteristics

Viruses can be defined as "non cellular , submicroscopic , obligatory intra cellular parasites composed of a proteinaceous covering around central nucleic acid ( either DNA or RNA ) and  capable of self -replication within the living host cells."
The study of viruses is called virology and the specialists in the field of virology are called virologists.
Viruses exist in two states , extracellular and intracellular .
In the extracellular state , a virus is a minute particle containing nucleic acid surrounded by protein and occasionally , depending on the specific virus ,containing other macromolecular compotents.

Terms and their Specific Meanings related to Corona Virus

Disease  : An important of the normal state of an organism or any of its components that hinders the performance of vital functions.

Epidemic: When a disease occurs in an unusually high number of individuals in a population at the same time.

Pandemic: Is a widely distributed epidemic within a large population spread at least at continental level.

Outbreak : is the sudden , unexpected occurrence of a disease usually in a relatively short period of time in an area previously experiencing only sporadic cases of the disease .

Symptom: is the manifestation ( appearance ) of the disease .

Infection: is the beginning of the microbial growth in the host.

Contact transmission : implies the coming together or touching of the source of reservoir of the pathogen and the host.

Incubation period : is the time between the infection and the appearance of disease symptoms.

Quarantine : a state , period,or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed.

Prevalence : is the proportion of diseased individuals in a population in a given time period no matter when the disease began.
Microbiology , Author : R P Singh

Microbiology As A Field Of Biology

Biologists are khown for their differing opinions as to how the huge field of biology can best be subdivided. Historically , the divisions followed the major groups of life as in Zoology . Botany ,Entomology and Microbiology .Another manner of subdividing the subject matter of biology is based on the level at which the study is conducted : for example . studies at the level of molecular constituents of the cell (molecu7 biology , studies at the level of the cell (Cell Biology )

What is Corona Virus?

Corona virusses have a helical nucleocapsid and contain single stranded RNA of the (+) type . Their name is based on the occurrence of distinctive club shaped particles of glycoprotein that project from the surface of the envelope and which give the effect of a crown or corona.