Definition of HYPOCHLOROUS ACID. : an unstable strongly oxidizing but weak acid HClO obtained in solution along with hydrochloric acid by reaction of chlorine with water and used especially in the form of salts as an oxidizing agent, bleaching agent, disinfectant, and chlorinating agent.
Section 6.3 Viruses: Structure, Function, and Uses. A virus is a small parasite that cannot reproduce by itself. Once it infects a susceptible cell, however, a virus can direct the cell machinery to produce more viruses. Most viruses have either RNA or DNA as their genetic material.The nucleic acid may be single-or double-stranded.he T phages of E. coli are large lytic phages that contain a single molecule of double-stranded DNA. This molecule is about 2âÃâ10 5 base pairs long in T2, T4, and T6 viruses and about 4âÃâ10 4 base pairs long in T1, T3, T5, and T7 viruses.
The genetic material in retroviruses is in the form of RNA molecules, while the genetic material of their hosts is in the form of DNA. When a retrovirus infects a host cell, it will introduce its RNA together with some enzymes, namely reverse transcriptase and integrase, into the cell. This RNA molecule from the retrovirus must produce a DNA copy from its RNA molecule before it can be integrated into the genetic material of the host cell.