The building blocks of the viral coat that assemble into the protective shell are called

The building blocks of the viral coat that assemble into the protective shell are called

• A. Nucleotides
• B. Capsid
• C. Enzymes
• D. Capsomeres

Answer: (D)

The protective outer shell of a virus is built from protein subunits that come together to form the capsid. The individual building blocks that assemble into this shell are called capsomeres. Think of capsomeres as the LEGO bricks that snap together to create the complete capsid, the finished protective coat. Nucleotides are the monomers of genetic material, not part of the coat structure. Enzymes are functional proteins that catalyze reactions, not the basic coat pieces. The capsid is the entire assembled shell, not the building blocks themselves. So the term describing the building blocks that form the shell is capsomeres.

The protective outer shell of a virus is built from protein subunits that come together to form the capsid. The individual building blocks that assemble into this shell are called capsomeres. Think of capsomeres as the LEGO bricks that snap together to create the complete capsid, the finished protective coat. Nucleotides are the monomers of genetic material, not part of the coat structure. Enzymes are functional proteins that catalyze reactions, not the basic coat pieces. The capsid is the entire assembled shell, not the building blocks themselves. So the term describing the building blocks that form the shell is capsomeres.