CBSENEETClass 9
What is a virus?
Answer
A virus is a microscopic infectious agent made of genetic material enclosed in a protein coat that can multiply only inside a living host cell.
The working
Definition
A virus is a non-cellular entity consisting of DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid.
Living or non-living
Viruses are considered on the borderline of living and non-living, as they are inert outside a host but reproduce inside one.
Multiplication
A virus can multiply only by taking over the machinery of a living host cell.
Examples
Common viral diseases include the common cold, influenza, polio and COVID-19.
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