1. Explore - Foundations of Viruses, Their Parts and Types
In this section, students build the scientific foundation needed to understand what viruses are and why they are unique biological entities. They explore how viral structure relates to function, how viruses replicate using host cells, and how viruses can be classified into different types. This Explore phase prepares learners for the next stages of the unit, where they will model viruses using 3D tools and visualize them in Augmented Reality (AR), transforming invisible biology into interactive learning objects.
1.5 Virus Types: How Can We Classify Viruses?
Viruses can be grouped in different ways. For this unit, students focus on classifications that connect clearly to modeling and AR visualization:
- By genome type: DNA viruses (herpesvirus, etc.) vs. RNA viruses (influenza, etc.). (More: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7150055/)
- By envelope: Enveloped (HIV, influenza, etc.) vs. non-enveloped (poliovirus, norovirus, etc.). More: https://virologyresearchservices.com/2022/05/22/enveloped-vs-non-enveloped-viruses/
- By shape: Helical (tobacco mosaic virus – for plants, etc.), icosahedral (adenovirus, etc.), complex (bacteriophage, etc.). More: https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/General_Biology_2e_(OpenStax)/05:_Unit_V-_Biological_Diversity/5.01:_Viruses/5.1.02:_Viral_Evolution_Morphology_and_Classification; https://microbenotes.com/classification-of-virus/)
- By host: Animal viruses (HIV, etc.), plant viruses (TMV, etc.), bacteriophages (T4 phage, etc.). More: https://microbenotes.com/classification-of-virus/
These categories are useful because they connect directly to what students will create in 3D: different shapes, different outer layers, different “surface features.”