"Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their interaction with host organism physiology and immunity, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy."
The study of viruses.
Virus classification: The categorization of viruses into different groups based on their genetic material, morphology, replication strategy and host range.
Virus structure: The components of a virus particle, including its nucleic acid genome (DNA or RNA), capsid, envelope and other possible structural proteins.
Virus replication cycle: The steps involved in the multiplication of a virus inside a host cell, from attachment and entry, to replication, assembly and release.
Host-virus interactions: The molecular and cellular processes involved in the recognition, binding, uptake and defense against viruses by host cells and tissues.
Viral pathogenesis: The cause-effect relationship between virus infection and the damage, dysfunction or disease in the infected host, at both the individual and population levels.
Viral immunity: The adaptive and innate mechanisms by which the immune system recognizes, neutralizes and eliminates viruses, and develops memory and protection against future infections.
Viral evolution: The genetic and phenotypic changes that occur over time in viral populations, driven by mutation, recombination, selection and adaptation to different hosts or environments.
Viral epidemiology: The study of the distribution, frequency, transmission and control of viral infections in populations, including factors such as age, sex, season, geography and vaccination.
Antiviral therapy: The approaches and drugs used to treat or prevent viral infections, such as inhibitors of viral enzymes or replication, immunomodulators, or vaccines.
Emerging viruses: The identification, characterization and management of new or re-emerging viruses that pose a threat to human or animal health, such as zoonoses, pandemics or bioterrorism agents.
"The identification of the causative agent of tobacco mosaic disease (TMV) as a novel pathogen by Martinus Beijerinck (1898) is now acknowledged as being the official beginning of the field of virology as a discipline distinct from bacteriology."
"Beijerinck used the word 'virus' to describe the mysterious agent in his 'contagium vivum fluidum' ('contagious living fluid')."
"Rosalind Franklin proposed the full structure of the tobacco mosaic virus in 1955."
"Virology began when there were no methods for propagating or visualizing viruses or specific laboratory tests for viral infections. The methods for separating viral nucleic acids (RNA and DNA) and proteins, which are now the mainstay of virology, did not exist."
"Now there are many methods for observing the structure and functions of viruses and their component parts. Thousands of different viruses are now known about, and virologists often specialize in either the viruses that infect plants, or bacteria and other microorganisms, or animals."
"Viruses that infect humans are now studied by medical virologists."
"Virology is a broad subject covering biology, health, animal welfare, agriculture, and ecology."