Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
A coronavirus strain refers to a variant or subtype of the larger coronavirus family. These strains differ slightly in their genetic makeup but belong to the same viral species.
In biology, mutation refers to any change in DNA sequence away from normal. Mutations may be caused by mistakes during cell division or exposure to DNA-damaging agents in the environment.
Pathogen: A pathogen is anything that can produce disease. Typically the term is used to mean an infectious agent - a microbe or microorganism such as a bacterium, virus, fungal or protozoan that causes disease in its host.
Viral Load: This refers to the amount of virus in an infected person's blood. It is often used as a marker of how severe a viral infection may be or how quickly the infection could spread.