Section 1
Viral Evolution, Morphology, and Classification
Book
Version 32
By Boundless
By Boundless
Boundless Biology
Biology
by Boundless
4 concepts
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/19064/square/figure-21-01-01ab.jpeg)
Discovery and Detection of Viruses
Viruses are infectious particles about 100 times smaller than bacteria and can only be observed by electron microscopy.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/20486/square/tree-20of-20life.jpeg)
Evolution of Viruses
The evolution of viruses is speculative as they do not fossilize; biochemical and genetic information is used to create virus histories.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/19066/square/figure-21-01-03.jpg)
Viral Morphology
Viruses of all shapes and sizes consist of a nucleic acid core, an outer protein coating or capsid, and sometimes an outer envelope.
![Thumbnail](../../../../../../figures.boundless-cdn.com/19069/square/figure-21-01-06abcde.jpeg)
Virus Classification
Viruses are classified by factors such as their core content, capsid structure, presence of outer envelope, and how mRNA is produced.