Question

How do DNA viruses replicate compared to RNA viruses?

Answer 1

Consider how viruses operate. They hijack a host cell to replicate them, since they're really just nothing but a protein capsule filled with strings of DNA or RNA. Cells copy their DNA to reproduce, while only using RNA to make proteins, generally speaking.

So a DNA virus can put its DNA into a host cell's DNA and reproduce when the cell normally reproduces, while an RNA virus can't as easily. RNA viruses must use a protein called Reverse Transcriptase to turn their RNA into DNA to replicate in this way.

DNA viruses can become transcribed into mRNA while RNA viruses can be directly copied by ribosomes and produce more proteins and DNA/RNA to form more viruses within the cell, eventually killing and rupturing out of the cell to find more host cells to produce some more.

I can elaborate more if any of that seems clear, I just wanted to give a general outline to help.

Answer 2

Kainui, do RNA viruses have to turn into DNA viruses?? can't they juz carry out transcription and reproduce?

Answer 3

Oh man, Kainui if you know about viruses, I need some major help. I've actually asked an abundant number of questions about viruses. Some of my answers were a bit foggy. Also, could you elaborate?
Positive sense viruses don't carry the transcriptace because they are, in essence, mRNA. Right?
and if I'm right, No cmkc109 they don't have to turn into DNA viruses(but some do, check out retroviruses).