(A.) DNA Viruses

Important Characteristics:

• •  DNA as its genetic material

•  Replicationoccurs in the nucleus using a DNA-dependent DNA polymerase

•  DNA can be ssDNA or dsDNA and may be linear or circular

Important groups of DNA viruses are:

• •  Adenoviridae

•  Herpesviridae

•  Poxviridae

•  Papovaviridae

•  Hepadnaviridae

•  Parvoviridae

The dsDNA viruses are further separated in families on the basis of the shape of their DNA (linear or circular), their capsid shape and the presence or absence of an envelope. Only one family of viruses has ssDNA (as shown in Table1)