WHAT IS A VIRUS ? FIRST AND BEST ANSWER WILL BE MARKED AS BRAINLIEST
Answers
Explanation:
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ANSWER:
A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses can infect all types of life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea.
When infected, a host cell is forced to rapidly produce thousands of identical copies of the original virus. When not inside an infected cell or in the process of infecting a cell, viruses exist in the form of independent particles, or virions, consisting of:
(i) the genetic material, i.e. long molecules of DNA or RNA that encode the structure of the proteins by which the virus acts;
(ii) a protein coat, the capsid, which surrounds and protects the genetic material; and in some cases;
(iii) an outside envelope of lipids. The shapes of these virus particles range from simple helical and icosahedral forms to more complex structures. Most virus species have virions too small to be seen with an optical microscope as they are one hundredth the size of most bacteria.