Morphology

=Morphology=



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The members of viruses in the //Coronaviridae// family are classified as enveloped viruses, which are composed of a nucleocapsid and a matrix protein. The virion is pleomorphic: spherical for the genus Coronavirus and disk-like for the genus Torovirus. They rang in size from 60 to 220nm in diameter. Coronaviruses have an envelope that is derived from intracellular membranes and not the plasma membrane. The outer envelope is lined with distinctive [|peplomers] that extend out 20nm and are spaced more than 3nm apart from eachother. The family //Coronaviridae// gets its name from the peplomers, which form a "crown-like" appearance.

The structural proteins present are : N (nucleocapsid), E (envelope), M (transmembrane protein), S (spike), and HE( hemagglutinin-esterase) only present on some coronaviruses. The RNA is associated with the N protein to form a helical nucleocapsid enclosed within an internal core structure (65nm in diameter). The helical nucleocapsid is unusal for a positive-sense RNA virus.

([|source]), ([|source]), ([|source]), ([|source]) __Source__- Bloom, David C. //et al//. (2008). Third Edition. //Basic Virology//. Blackwell Publishing

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