noun
- A protein subunit that forms part of the capsid (outer protein shell) of a virus.
Usage: technical; biology
Examples
- The capsomer is the basic building block of viral capsids.
- Multiple capsomers assemble together to form the protective shell around viral genetic material.
- Researchers studied how capsomers interact to understand viral structure.
- The arrangement of capsomers determines the overall geometry of the virus particle.
- Electron microscopy revealed the precise positioning of individual capsomers in the icosahedral virus.