What is the size and shape of helical viruses based onSoluti

What is the size and shape of helical viruses based on?

Solution

Answer:

Size and shape of helical viruses depends on the rule that packing of the virus should be genetically economical and lowest possible energy or strength should be required to form structure.As the proteins of a capsid are asymmetric, the lowest possible energy arrangement for non-symmetric particles results into symmetrical structure such as helical or isocahedral. A viral capsid surrounds and protects the viral genome, and is also responsible for interaction with cell-surface receptors at the first stage of infection.

The factor that capsid needs to be large enough to enclose the nucleic acid; but only a small number of coat proteins can be encoded by the viral genome also regulate the shape and size of helical or isocahederal viruses structure.

Helical symmetry involves arranging multiple, identical protein subunits into rotational symmetry and to arrange these irregularly shaped proteins around the circumference of a circle to form a disc.These multiple discs can then be placed on top of one another to form a cylinder, with the virus genome coated by the protein shell or contained within the hollow centre of the cylinder.