Duration of the online course: 28 hours and 59 minutes
4.79
(19)
Strengthen your clinical understanding of viral disease with a clear, science-based introduction designed for nursing and health learners. This free online course explains what viruses are, how they differ from other microbes, and why their life cycle shapes everything from contagion and symptoms to treatment options and prevention strategies. By connecting foundational concepts to real-world healthcare contexts, you will be better prepared to interpret viral terminology, follow emerging evidence, and communicate more confidently with patients and teams.
You will explore how viruses attach to susceptible cells, enter, replicate their genetic material, and assemble new particles, with attention to key ideas in viral genomes, gene expression, and the host cell processes viruses depend on. The course also clarifies how infected cells respond and how these interactions can lead to tissue damage, clinical signs and symptoms, and different patterns of disease. As you progress, you will gain a framework for distinguishing acute from persistent infection and for understanding why some viruses can remain in the body, reactivate, or contribute to long-term complications.
A major focus is the layered defense system that protects the host. You will learn how intrinsic barriers and innate immunity act quickly, how adaptive immunity provides targeted responses and memory, and how these defenses relate to vaccination, immune evasion, and susceptibility. The course also highlights viral evolution and selective pressures, helping you make sense of variant emergence and why prevention measures can change over time. Finally, you will connect mechanisms to interventions, building a practical view of how vaccines work, what antiviral drugs aim to block, and how clinical decision-making is influenced by viral replication steps.
Short exercises throughout help you check comprehension and turn definitions into usable knowledge. Whether you are updating your fundamentals, preparing for clinical placement, or expanding public health awareness, this course supports confident learning at your own pace.
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #1: What is a Virus?
1h01m
Exercise: _How many bacteriophage particles are estimated to be in the world's waters?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #2 - The Infectious Cycle
1h14m
Exercise: _What is a susceptible cell in virology?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #3 - Genomes and Genetics
1h13m
Exercise: _What was the result of the Hershey Chase experiment?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #4 - Structure of Viruses
1h10m
Exercise: _What is the function of structural proteins in virus particles?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #5 - Attachment and entry
1h18m
Exercise: _What is the role of cellular receptors in virus attachment and entry?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #6 - RNA Directed RNA Synthesis
1h11m
Exercise: _What was the result of the experiment where cells were infected with poliovirus and then a cell extract was added with the four triphosphates needed to make RNA?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #7: Transcription and RNA Processing
1h10m
Exercise: _What is transcription in virology defined as according to Vincent Racaniello?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #8 - Viral DNA Replication
1h05m
Exercise: _What is the direction of DNA synthesis?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #9 - Reverse Transcription and Integration
1h07m
Exercise: _Who discovered the virus that causes solid tumors of chickens?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #10 - Assembly
1h10m
Exercise: _What is the role of chaperones in virus assembly?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #11 - The Infected Cell
1h07m
Exercise: _What is signal transduction?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #12 - Infection Basics
1h17m
Exercise: _What is the difference between signs and symptoms of a viral infection?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #13 - Intrinsic and Innate Defenses
1h18m
Exercise: _What are the three main defenses of the host against viruses?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #14 - Adaptive Defenses
1h08m
Exercise: _What is the difference between leukocytes and lymphocytes?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #15 - Mechanisms of Pathogenesis
1h12m
Exercise: _What is the key point about selective pressures in viral evolution according to the lecture?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #16 - Acute Infections
1h09m
Exercise: _What is the main difference between acute and persistent infections?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #17 - Persistent Infections
1h07m
Exercise: _What is a persistent infection?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #18 - Transformation and Oncogenesis
1h08m
Exercise: _What is transformation in cells?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #19 - Vaccines
1h02m
Exercise: _What is the main function of vaccines?
Video class: Virology Lectures 2021 #20 - Antivirals
1h02m
Exercise: _What is the biggest target for antivirals?
28 hours and 59 minutes of online video course
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Course comments: Virology
Phumlane Mzamo Kunene
great course I love it
muhammad khalid zrar
nice course.
Abdur Rahman
This fantastic course and knowledgeable.