Betacoronavirus
Betacoronavirus (pronounced: be-ta-co-ro-na-vi-rus) is a genus of coronavirus that is known to infect mammals, including humans. The name "Betacoronavirus" derives from the Greek letter beta, indicating its place as the second of four genera in the Coronaviridae family.
Etymology
The term "Betacoronavirus" is derived from the Greek letter "beta" and the Latin "corona," meaning crown. This is in reference to the characteristic appearance of the virus particles under an electron microscope, which resemble a crown or a solar corona.
Classification
Betacoronaviruses are classified under the family Coronaviridae, in the order Nidovirales. They are further divided into five subgenera: Embecovirus, Hibecovirus, Merbecovirus, Nobecovirus, and Sarbecovirus.
Notable viruses within this genus include Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Related Terms
- Coronavirus: A type of virus. There are many different kinds, and some of them can cause disease.
- SARS-CoV-2: The strain of coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.
- COVID-19: The disease caused by the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2.
- MERS-CoV: The coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
- SARS-CoV: The coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Betacoronavirus
- Wikipedia's article - Betacoronavirus
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski