Antiviral drug. Abstract illustration of the antiviral drug acyclovir attacking a herpesvirus. Acyclovir acts by specifically interfering with an enzy

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Antiviral drug. Abstract illustration of the antiviral drug acyclovir attacking a herpesvirus. Acyclovir acts by specifically interfering with an enzyme in the virus called DNA polymerase, thus preventing viral DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) replication. The viral DNA is enclosed in a 20- sided icosahedron (yellow and red) made of hexagonal protein subunits. This protein coat, called the capsid, is itself enclosed in a phospholipid membrane envelope, represented here by a sphere. The projections on the envelope are glycoproteins that enable the virus to bind to receptors on the membranes of target host cells.

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Size: 2924px × 4998px
Photo credit: © JOHN BAVOSI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: action, acyclovir, antiviral, art, artwork, attacking, drug, herpes, herpesvirus, illustration, virus, zovirax