Structure of Virus
Viruses are submicroscopic organisms that vary in size between 30-50 nm. Following are the keypoints regarding the structure of a virus:
- Their genetic material is protected by a protein covering called the capsid.
- The capsid is made up of small subunits called Capsomeres. These capsomeres are arranged in a geometric form (helical or polyhedral).
- Some viruses have an external lipid membrane called an Envelope.
- The envelope surrounds the capsid to carry out a defense mechanism against the immune response of the host. It also has receptor molecules through which viruses bind with the host cell and cause infection.
- Viruses are non-cellular and usually lack a cell wall.
- Virus lacks any cell organelles like mitochondria and ribosome, therefore depend on the host machinery for multiplication.
Virus Diagram
Virus in Biology
Virus is an infectious agent of the submicroscopic size that cannot survive alone. Hence, it infects cells of other living organisms and replicates itself using the components of these host cells. Its biological structure is comprised of a fragment of nucleic acid that could either be DNA or RNA. The most commonly known examples of viruses are HIV Virus, Coronavirus, Ebola virus, etc.
In this article, you will learn about what is virus in biology, characteristics of virus, its structure, importance, reproduction and examples of virus.
Table of Content
- What is Virus in Biology?
- Characteristics of Virus
- Classification of Virus
- Structure of Virus
- Example of a Bacterial Virus
- Reproduction in Virus
- Importance of Virus
- Diseases caused by Virus