Are viruses made of cells?

In earlier drafts of criteria for life, the requirement was that living things must be made of cells. Viruses are not made out of cells. A single virus particle is known as a virion, and is made up of a set of genes bundled within a protective protein shell called a capsid. read more

Viruses are not made up of cells. Viruses are a piece of nucleic acid in a protein capsule, sometimes with a lipid coat. They are typically much smaller than the cells that they attack. read more

No, viruses are not made of cells. They are made of molecules. Yes viruses do infect cells by inserting their genetic sequences into those of the host cell. Thus the host cells then essentially become virus factories. Generally speaking, host cells are much bigger than viruses. By the way, a simple question deserves a simple answer. read more

A section through a cell being destroyed by herpes simplex virus infection. At centre is a large cluster of viral capsids (protein coats, red) which the cell has produced at the direction of the virus's genetic material. read more

Viruses are capable of latching onto host cells and getting inside them. Computer artwork of a typical virus particle which is icosahedral in shape. The virus consists of a core of RNA (ribonucleic acid, green) enclosed in a capsid, or protein coat (blue spheres). read more