Virus classification

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Template:Wikispecies Viruses can be classified in several ways, such as by their geometry, by whether they have envelopes, by the identity of the host organism they can infect, by mode of transmission, or by the type of disease they cause. The most pragmatic classification is probably by the type of nucleic acid the virus contains and its mode of expression. This classification scheme was originally proposed by David Baltimore, who was one of the recipients of the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. It should be noted that none of these classifications are expected to be phylogenetic, as viruses may not share a common origin.

Contents

Overview

The various forms of viruses arise because one of the two strands of DNA in which all cellular life forms store their genetic information is redundant, so that viruses can have either single-stranded or double-stranded genomes. Furthermore, some viruses store their genome in RNA rather than DNA forms. RNA arises in cells as an intermediate when genes are translated into proteins. RNA genomes of viruses can be encoded in two different directions: Either the genes are stored in the 5'→3' direction (positive or + polarity), analogous to the direction in which genes are represented in mRNA in cells, or the genes are stored in the opposite, 3'→5' direction (negative or - polarity).

The taxonomy of viruses is similar to that of cellular organisms:

Order (-virales)
Family (-viridae)
Subfamily (-virinae)
Genus (-virus)
Species

However, the Code of nomenclature regulated by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) differs from other taxonomic codes' on several points. A minor point is that names of orders and families are italicized, as in the ICBN. Most notably, species names generally take the form of [Disease] Virus. The recognition of orders is very recent and has been deliberately slow; to date, only three have been named, and most families remain unplaced. Approximately 80 families and 4000 species of virus are known.

Classification by genome type

DNA viruses

Group I - dsDNA viruses (double stranded DNA)

Group II - ssDNA viruses (single stranded DNA)

RNA viruses

Group III - dsRNA viruses (double stranded RNA)

Group IV - (+)ssRNA viruses (positive single stranded RNA or mRNA like)

Group V - (-)ssRNA viruses (negative single-stranded RNA)

DNA and RNA Reverse Transcribing viruses

Group VI - ssRNA-RT viruses (single stranded RNA)

Group VII - dsDNA-RT viruses (double stranded DNA)

Subviral agents

The following agents are smaller than viruses but have some of their properties.

Viroids

Satellites

Prions

  • Fungal prions
  • Mammalian prions

Other resources

External links

See also

de:Virusklassifikation fr:Classification des virus ja:ウイルスの分類 pl:Systematyka wirusów pt:Classificação dos vírus zh:生物病毒分類表