Library · Microorganism
Virus
Make it clearer
A virus is, at bottom, a genome, meaning its genetic material, kept inside a protein coat that protects it; some also carry an outer envelope. What it doesn't carry is the full machinery for making copies of itself, so it has to get inside a host cell, the cell that takes it in, and use that cell's machinery instead. It's like a recipe inside a sealed envelope: the recipe is complete, but there's no kitchen in the envelope.
When people talk about a virion, they mean the viral particle already put together, the finished unit. It's assembled inside a host cell, and what it does is carry the viral genome to another cell.
In brief
A virus contains a genome, or genetic material, protected by a protein coat; some viruses also have an outer envelope.
Viruses do not carry all the machinery needed to make new particles on their own, so they depend on a host cell to reproduce.
A virion is the fully assembled viral particle: it forms inside a host cell and can carry the viral genome to another cell.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology InformationWhat Is a Virus?
- OpenStax, Rice UniversityViruses
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated