Italy, though an Allied Power during World War I, joined the Axis Powers under the leadership of Benito Mussolini, only to depose Mussolini in 1943 and fight the German occupation of their northern territories. The inclusion of Japan into the Axis Powers made China join the Allied Powers.
Lecture 2: Virus Structure. All viruses contain the following two components: 1) a nucleic acid genome and 2) a protein capsid that covers the genome. Together this is called the nucleocapsid. In addition, many animal viruses contain a 3) lipid envelope.
A virus particle, also known as a virion, is essentially a nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein shell or coat. Viruses are extremely small, approximately 20 - 400 nanometers in diameter. The largest virus, known as the Mimivirus, can measure up to 500 nanometers in diameter. By comparison, a human red blood cell is around 6,000 to 8,000 nanometers in diameter. In addition to varying sizes, viruses also have a variety of shapes. Similar to bacteria, some viruses have spherical or rod shapes.