Viral Shapes
1) Helical shape= tubular shape or like a string where there is an outside protein layer called a capsid. Nucleic acids on the inside
- Many viruses that infect eukaryotic cells are this shape
2) Polyhedral shape= shaped like a soccer ball. Have a capsid outer protein layer surrounding its nucleic acids.
- These shapes are able to infect eukaryotic cells
3) Complex shape= looks like T4 phage
- Soft of a mesh of a polyhedral shape plus helical shape
- Only found in bcteriophages
Kassie Hein
page revision: 1, last edited: 18 Nov 2009 20:26