Editing DNA virus (section)

{{Short description|Virus that has DNA as its genetic material}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
[[File:Cowpox virus.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|''[[Orthopoxvirus]]'' particles]]
A '''DNA virus''' is a [[virus]] that has a [[genome]] made of [[deoxyribonucleic acid]] (DNA) that is replicated by a [[DNA polymerase]]. They can be divided between those that have two strands of DNA in their genome, called double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) viruses, and those that have one strand of DNA in their genome, called single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) viruses. dsDNA viruses primarily belong to two [[Realm (virology)|realms]]: ''[[Duplodnaviria]]'' and ''[[Varidnaviria]]'', and ssDNA viruses are almost exclusively assigned to the realm ''[[Monodnaviria]]'', which also includes some dsDNA viruses. Additionally, many DNA viruses are unassigned to higher taxa. Reverse transcribing viruses, which have a DNA genome that is replicated through an RNA intermediate by a [[reverse transcriptase]], are classified into the kingdom ''[[Pararnavirae]]'' in the realm ''[[Riboviria]]''.

DNA viruses are ubiquitous worldwide, especially in marine environments where they form an important part of marine ecosystems, and infect both [[prokaryote]]s and [[eukaryote]]s. They appear to have multiple origins, as viruses in ''Monodnaviria'' appear to have emerged from archaeal and bacterial [[plasmid]]s on multiple occasions, though the origins of ''Duplodnaviria'' and ''Varidnaviria'' are less clear.

Prominent disease-causing DNA viruses include [[Herpesvirales|herpesviruses]], [[Papillomaviridae|papillomaviruses]], and [[Poxviridae|poxviruses]].