Complex

Definition

In microbiology, 'complex' refers to a structural form of certain viruses that is neither purely helical nor purely icosahedral, often involving additional structures such as tail fibers or an envelope. These complex viruses can have intricate architectures designed for specific functions like host cell attachment and genome delivery.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Complex viruses often have more elaborate structures than simple helical or icosahedral viruses.
2. The bacteriophage is a classic example of a complex virus with its head-tail morphology.
3. Complex viruses may include additional components such as tail fibers, envelopes, and other specialized appendages.
4. These viruses typically infect bacterial cells but can also target eukaryotic cells in some cases.
5. The complexity allows these viruses to perform specialized tasks during the infection process, such as attaching to specific host cell receptors.

Review Questions

Related terms

Bacteriophage:

A type of virus that infects bacteria, often exhibiting a complex structure with head and tail regions.

Helical Virus: A virus with a rod-like appearance due to its capsid proteins arranged in a helix around the viral genome.

Icosahedral Virus: A virus with a symmetrical shape consisting of equilateral triangular faces forming an approximate sphere.