Multimedia Gallery
Ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses
This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Learn more about how NSF-funded research is playing a crucial role in the nation's response to COVID-19 in the Special Report Utilizing NSF-funded research in the fight against COVID-19 and Harnessing computing power to fight COVID-19. (Date image taken: 2020; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: April 30, 2020)
Credit: Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAM
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