What characteristics do scientists use to classify viruses?

Question

I need 4 different ways.

Also, Viruses have genetic material enclosed in a protein coat. Is that all viruses, or some?

Answer 1

Viruses are basically classified into families based on type of nucleic acid genome (ssRNA, dsRNA, ssDNA, dsDNA), size of genome, the way they replicate and virus structure (helical or icosahedral). All viruses have a nucleocapsid that surrounds the genome but only some have an envelope.

Answer 2

2

Answer 3

There are a whole bunch of ways scientists ( virologists) use to classify viruses.

For example if they contain DNA or RNA, if they are double stranded DNA or single stranded.

virologoist argue a bit about how best to classify them.

not all viruses have a coating.

You can find quite a good set of lecture notes from Cornell Univeristy at

http://www.ppath.cornell.edu/Virology/AnimalViruses/overview/class.html

Answer 4

All I know is that a virus is not a living thing