Hello,
I just want to know your thoughts of using the terms "capsid particles" and viral particles. I feel most people use these two terms interchangeably.
They are not the same thing right? since the viral particles can contain genome while also having capsid.
Thoughts?
Capsid particles and viral particles are not the same, though people often mix them up. Capsid particles are just the protein shell of a virus and might not have the virus's genetic material inside. Viral particles are the complete virus, with the shell, genetic material, and sometimes an outer layer, which makes them able to infect. It’s good to use the terms correctly to avoid confusion.
It will depend if you deal with an enveloped or naked virus. for naked virus (no lipid no membrane) the capsid is the protein structure that forms the virus. it can be filled with the genome or empty (in that case it is sometime called CLP or VLP (capsid/Viral like particle; mainly if it has been produced with recombinant proteins). For envelopped viruses the capsid is the core of the virus (made of proteins that surround the genome) without the membrane part.
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