Virology

Virology is that branch of pathology and a sub branch of microbiology that deals with the study of viruses and virus like agents. This includes the study of their structure, evolution, classification, infection mode, replication mode, disease causing mode, isolation techniques, cultural techniques and their utilization in research and therapeutic fields. Those scientiscts who are specialized in the field of virology are called virologists.

Virus classification is an important branch of virology. Viruses can be classified on the basis of their shape, on the basis of the host they infect, on the basis of the genetic material they have, etc. If a virus infects an animal, it is known as animal virus; if it infects a plant, plant virus; and if a bacteria, bacteriophage.

Viruses are microscopic entities and their structure is studied through X-ray crystollogy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. The usual shapes of viruses are helical, polyhedral, enveloped, etc.

Viruses may have either DNA or RNA as their genetic material. Usually, when DNA is the genetic material, it is present as double stranded; and when RNA is the genetic material, it is present as single stranded. But the opposite also happens in certain cases.

These entities which exist in between living and non living state replicate only inside a living host. The biological generation of many viruses from a single virus is known as replication. Their replication in the host cell causes disease to its host.

Another important feature of virology is the identification of viruses. Visual detection of a virus is the first step that is frequently used in the medical diagnosis of a viral disease. For this, the electron microscopic view of the stained virus sample is observed.

Virology, the study of viruses has, these days, helped in the beneficial use of viruses. These include genetic coding, genetic library, recombinant DNA technologies, phage therapy, gene therapy, nanotechnology, etc.