Step I Virus Memorization Tactics

Started by Disinence2
Get help with your application

Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.

Browse articles Compare schools My application plan Read Interview Feedback
Practice for interviews Ask an Advisor
Disinence2

Disinence2

Emergency Medicine
Verified Member
10+ Year Member
Physician
15+ Year Member
Anyone got some tips on memorizing the common viruses. I'm sick of missing practice questions because I can't remember if rhino virus is enveloped or not.

All these + - strand, linear, Segmented, RNA,DNA ect answer choices always confuse me, and I can't keep them straight.

Anyone have a particular way or organizing them that works best?

Thanks
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
I just did these today too and for some of them there is some rhyme and reason while for others it's just memorization.

Here is one tip for the RNA viruses

- Anything that is transmitted feco-orally is usually unenveloped b/c enveloped viruses are not stable and will not remain infectious outside their host long enough. So for this reason - Reovirus and Noroviruses are unenveloped. Also the PicoRNAvirues (rhino is in this group) are mostly transmitted feco-orally(polio, hep A, etc) and the Hepevirus (Hep E) too.

All the other RNA viruses are enveloped

Most of the rest are just random FA pneumonics (BOAR, Always Bring Polymera..) that has to be looked at again days-hrs before the test

I would like to hear other ppls techniques too...
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Aside from Coronavirus, I think all icosahedral viruses are +, and all helical are -. For segments, it goes in order ABO (2, 3, 10) with Reovirus being wierd because it's dsRNA (10-12). Only + strands (thus, icosahedral) are enveloped.
This doesn't apply to Reovirus.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
For the naked ones, just think of places you would want to be naked.....California (cali) Rio (reovirus) and when in a picornagraphic film 🙂

Works for me
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
I went to a RETRO TOGA party in CALIfornia where they served FLAVORFUL PICO de gallo and CORONAs, and it was POSITIVE experience.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
SeminoleFan3 said:
Aside from Coronavirus, I think all icosahedral viruses are +, and all helical are -. For segments, it goes in order ABO (2, 3, 10) with Reovirus being wierd because it's dsRNA (10-12). Only + strands (thus, icosahedral) are enveloped.
This doesn't apply to Reovirus.
Click to expand...

I think your second sentence helped me alot but the next two where a little confusing...can you clarify?

2nd sentence: I know FA says arenavirus is segmented but where did you get number 2? Also does'nt the order go A,B,O,R going up in the alphabet and thus the numbers go up 2,3,8,10? I am assuming you found out that arenaviruses are two segments?

3rd sentence: does not make sense to me...there are plenty of -stranded RNA that are enveloped????


OK, here is one for VIRUSES WITH CIRCULAR DNA/RNA! sort of stupid but...
1. Papovavirdiae (Papilloma/Polyoma): think CIRCULAR WARTS
2. Arenaviruses: ARENAS are round CIRCLES!
3. Bunyaviruses: BUNNIES run in CIRCLES!
4. Deltavirus: the Diameter of the CIRCLE!
5. remember hepadnaviruses are "partially circular" whatever that means... HepB has two partial circles in the B!

d
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0 Downvote
dgriss1 said:
I think your second sentence helped me alot but the next two where a little confusing...can you clarify?

2nd sentence: I know FA says arenavirus is segmented but where did you get number 2? Also does'nt the order go A,B,O,R going up in the alphabet and thus the numbers go up 2,3,8,10? I am assuming you found out that arenaviruses are two segments?

3rd sentence: does not make sense to me...there are plenty of -stranded RNA that are enveloped????


OK, here is one for VIRUSES WITH CIRCULAR DNA/RNA! sort of stupid but...
1. Papovavirdiae (Papilloma/Polyoma): think CIRCULAR WARTS
2. Arenaviruses: ARENAS are round CIRCLES!
3. Bunyaviruses: BUNNYS run in CIRCLES!
4. Deltavirus: the Diameter of the CIRCLE!
remember hepadnaviruses are "partially circular" whatever that means...

d
Click to expand...

oh dear, what is this exam doing to us all? :laugh:
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.