| Virology is a molecular level’ or perhaps even ‘molecules and viruses.’ Protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid, and protein-lipid interactions determine the structure of virus particles, the synthesis and expression of virus genomes, and the effects of viruses on the host cell. This is virology at a molecular level and describes the techniques most frequently used to study viruses and clinical significance for laboratory diagnosis and mode of control. However, before exploring the subject further, it is necessary to understand the nature of viruses. It would also be useful to know something of the history of virology or, more accurately, how virology as a discipline in its own right arose in order to understand its current concerns and future directions. |