Did you know that some viruses have a lipid membrane taken from their host cell when they leave? This "envelope" has embedded in it the proteins that the virus needs to bind to and insert its nucleocapisd (the protein shell containing the viruses genome) into a cell. We call these "enveloped viruses," in contrast to "naked" viruses which lack this membrane, and only have a protein coat (with the needed cell binding proteins scattered on its surface) surrounding their genome. Some examples of enveloped viruses include Influenza, Ebola, Herpes, Smallpox, and Rabies. Naked viruses include Rhinovirus (one of the more common causes of colds), Poliovirus, Adenovirus (a common cause of "stomach flu" and respiratory illnesses), and the infamous Norovirus.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 06:19:01 +0000
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