Viruses Explained: From Structure to Treatment
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Understanding Viruses: Structure, Infection, and Immunity
A virus is a biological entity that needs a cell host to reproduce. Each virus particle, or virion, is a potentially infective agent consisting of a capsid (or protein coat) of protein surrounding the nucleic acid, which can be DNA or RNA. The shape of the capsid may be straightforward or helical, typically icosahedral (polyhedral or near-spherical), or complex, typically comprising a head and a tail. This structure can, in turn, be surrounded by the viral envelope, a lipid layer with different proteins, depending on the virus.
The life cycle of a virus always requires the metabolic machinery of the invaded cell to replicate its genetic material, producing many copies of the original virus.... Continue reading "Viruses Explained: From Structure to Treatment" »