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protein subunits
The capsid surrounds the virus and is composed of a finite number of protein subunits known as capsomeres, which usually associate with, or are found close to, the virion nucleic acid.
Some viruses have an envelope of phospholipids and proteins. The envelope is made from portions of the host’s cell membrane. It surrounds the capsid and helps protect the virus from the host’s immune system. The envelope may also have receptor molecules that can bind with host cells.
What determines the shape of a capsid?
What determines the shape of the capsid, or core? Structure: The order of the individual proteins, and if they are symmetrical determine the the shape.
Viral capsids are nanometre-sized containers that possess complex mechanical properties and whose main function is to encapsidate the viral genome in one host, to transport it and to subsequently release it inside another host cell.
What makes up a virus capsid protein sugar RNA?
A virion consists of a nucleic acid core, an outer protein coating or capsid, and sometimes an outer envelope made of protein and phospholipid membranes derived from the host cell. The capsid is made up of protein subunits called capsomeres. Viruses may also contain additional proteins, such as enzymes.
How is a viral envelope made?
A virus that has an outer wrapping or envelope. This envelope comes from the infected cell, or host, in a process called “budding off.” During the budding process, newly formed virus particles become “enveloped” or wrapped in an outer coat that is made from a small piece of the cell’s plasma membrane.
What determines capsid shape?
The amount and arrangement of the proteins and nucleic acid of viruses determine their size and shape. The protein and nucleic acid constituents have properties unique for each class of virus; when assembled, they determine the size and shape of the virus for that specific class.