Capsid

Okay kiddo, have you ever seen a castle? A big structure with walls all around it? Well, imagine that instead of stones, this castle is made up of something called proteins. And these proteins, just like the stones on a castle, are put together in a very specific way to make sure the castle stays strong.

Now, imagine that this castle is so small that you can't even see it with your eyes. It's called a virus, and it's made up of this protein castle, along with some other things inside it. And the protein castle, in virus talk, is called the capsid.

The capsid acts like a shell to protect the virus inside it from getting damaged. Just like how when you put on a helmet when you ride a bike, the capsid protects the virus from anything that could hurt it.

Different viruses have different shapes for their capsids – some look like little balls, some look like sticks, and others have all sorts of funky shapes. But no matter what shape they are, they all serve the same purpose of keeping the virus safe until it finds a new host to infect.

So that's the basics of a capsid, kiddo! It's like a little castle made of protein that protects the virus inside it.