Question

A virus capside is made of?

1) Sub-units called capsomers made of lipids
2) Sub-units called capsomers made of nucleic acids
3) Sub-units called capsomers made of proteins
4) Sub-units called glycomers made of carbohydrates
5) None of the above

Answer 1

A virus capsid is made of sub-units called capsomeres, which are made of proteins. These capsomeres form the protective protein layer surrounding the viral genetic material.

Step-by-step explanation:

The capsid of a virus is made of sub-units called capsomeres. These capsomeres are composed of proteins that assemble to form the protective layer around the viral nucleic acid, which is either DNA or RNA.

Some viruses may also have an outer lipid envelope, but this is acquired from the host cell as the virus buds out, not from the capsid itself. Within the capsid, there is no cytosol, just the viral genome and any necessary enzymes for the synthesis of new viruses.

Therefore, the correct answer to the question 'A virus capsid is made of?' is option 3) Sub-units called capsomeres made of proteins.