BIOLOGY 101 GIZMO Virus Lytic Cycle Student Exploration Sheet GRADED A+

Vocabulary: bacteriophage, capsid, host cell, lyse, lytic cycle, virus
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A computer virus is a program that can copy itself and infect a computer without the
permission of the owner. How do you think a computer virus compares to a real virus?
A computer Virus and a real virus are very similar because theey both duplicate and infect the
host in order to harm the host.
2. Have you ever been infected with a virus, such as the cold virus or flu virus? Yes
3. If so, how did the virus affect you? I felt like i didn't have energy, and I was coughing and
Sneezing all the time, most likely because my body was fighting against the virus .
Gizmo Warm-up
A virus is a microscopic particle that can infect a cell.
Viruses are primarily composed of a protein coat,
called a capsid, and nucleic acid. In the Virus Lytic
Cycle Gizmo™, you will learn how a virus infects a
cell and uses the cell to produce more viruses.
1. Viruses are extremely small. A typical virus is
about 100 times smaller than a single cell, such
as a bacterium. Label the virus and a bacterial
cell in the image at right.
2. Bacteriophages are
viruses that infect
bacteria. Based on the
diagram at left, label
the head, tail, tail fibers,
and the strand of
nucleic acid in the
image at right.
Activity A:
Lytic cycle
Get the Gizmo ready:
 If necessary, click Reset ( ).