VIRUSES
THE SHAPES OF VIRUSES
Polyhedral
- Adenovirus- A group of DNA viruses first discovered in adenoid tissue, most of which cause respiratory diseases.
Spherical
- Influenza- A highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics.
Helical
- Tobacco mosaic- A virus that causes mosaic disease in tobacco, much used in biochemical research.
Complex
- Bacteriophage- A virus that parasites a bacterium by infecting it and reproducing inside it.