Chapter 6.3, Problem 7CYP

Summary Introduction

To analyse:

• The structure and function of capsid.
• The construction of the two types of capsid.

Introduction:

Viruses are much smaller and simpler than prokaryotic cells and are responsible for some of the most virulent as well as common diseases on Earth. They cannot be seen by ordinary microscopes and are not considered to be alive until they enter a host cell. Typically, viruses consist of a core of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) and a protective coating of proteins, called capsid. Together, the nucleic acid and capsid form the nucleocapsid. Viruses that contain only nucleocapsid are called naked viruses.