In a typical one-step viral growth curve, approximately how many viruses are present at time step 5, assuming the latent period has just ended and the burst size is 100 virions per infected cell with 10 infected cells?

• A. 10 viruses
• B. 10,000 viruses
• C. 1,000 viruses
• D. 100 viruses

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the key parameters given in the problem: the burst size (number of virions produced per infected cell) and the number of infected cells. Here, the burst size is 100 virions per infected cell, and there are 10 infected cells.
2. Understand that the latent period is the time during which the virus is replicating inside the host cells but no new virions have been released yet. At the end of the latent period (time step 5), the infected cells release new virions simultaneously.
3. Calculate the total number of viruses released by multiplying the burst size by the number of infected cells. This can be expressed as: \(\text{Total viruses} = \text{Burst size} \times \text{Number of infected cells}\).
4. Substitute the given values into the formula: \(\text{Total viruses} = 100 \times 10\).
5. Interpret the result as the total number of viruses present at time step 5, immediately after the latent period ends and the burst occurs.