Give a brief account of viruses with respect to their structure and nature of genetic material. Also name four common viral diseases.

 Viruses are small infectious agents that can only replicate inside living host cells.

They are composed of a nucleic acid genome, either DNA or RNA, surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid.

Some viruses also have an envelope, which is a lipid membrane derived from the host cell membrane that surrounds the capsid.

The genetic material of viruses can be either single-stranded or double-stranded, and can be either RNA or DNA.

Some viruses, such as retroviruses, have RNA genomes that are reverse transcribed into DNA upon entering the host cell. Others, such as herpesviruses, have large DNA genomes.

Some common viral diseases include:

  1. Influenza: a respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus, which can lead to fever, cough, sore throat, and body aches.

  2. HIV/AIDS: a viral infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which attacks the immune system and can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

  3. Hepatitis: a group of viral infections that affect the liver, including hepatitis A, B, and C.

  4. DIFFERENT TYPE OF VIRUSES

  5. COVID-19: a respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which can lead to fever, cough, shortness of breath, and other symptoms, and has caused a global pandemic since its emergence in late 2019.

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