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Chapter 18: Problem 6

Describe why the attachment step in a viral reproductive cycle is usually specific for one or just a few cell types.

Short Answer

Expert verified
The attachment step in a viral reproductive cycle is usually specific for one or just a few cell types, due to the specific interaction between the viral surface proteins and the host cell receptors. The structure of these proteins and receptors determines the specificity. As a result, a virus can only infect cells which have the matching receptor.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding the Viral Reproductive Cycle

In the viral reproductive cycle, attachment is the first step. The virus attaches itself to the host cell. The specificity of this interaction is due to the precise match between the viral surface proteins and the host cell receptors.
02

Explaining the role of surface proteins and receptors in specificity

The viral surface proteins and the host cell receptors are structured in a way that they fit and bind with each other like a key in a lock. Thus, a virus can only attach to a host cell that has the matching receptor.
03

Implications of this specificity

This specificity implies that the virus can only infect certain cell types within the entire organism. This is why different viruses infect different cells in the body. For example, the HIV virus infects primarily the T cells in the immune system.

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