Question

Viruses can be crystallized. What does this signify?

Answer 1

Hint: An infectious agent nearly the size of submicroscopic that replicates inside living cells of any organism is known as a virus. It infects all types of organisms from animals to microorganisms like bacteria.

Complete answer:
The process of transformation of viral components into organized solid particles is known as crystallization. The inactive form of the virus can be changed into crystals and it includes a large number of viral particles. A virus can be said to be both living as it can multiply its nucleus acid present within the protein core of the virus which is similar to the living organism as well as a non living organism because it has no ability to move on its own and needs a living body.
Viruses also have no metabolic processes (it is a set of chemical reactions which leads to growth, reproduction, and help respond to surroundings of any organism) like other living organisms. Thus they can be crystallized and understand the viral particles. A virus crystal consists of many thousand viruses and because of its purity we can understand their characteristics, pathogenic activity, mutational levels, nucleic acids, and capsid properties. X-rays, laser beams, or electron microscopes are used to study these crystallized viruses. It is important as many human diseases including smallpox, influenza, common cold, AIDS, polio, rabies, and many plant diseases are caused by viruses.

Note: In 1935 tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was the first virus to be crystallized by Wendell Stanley, as an accomplishment for this was awarded a share of the 1946 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Also, his award was the first-ever bestowed as a virologist.