A look at what's going on with the pandemic-causing coronavirus at the microscopic level.
Up Close with The Enemy: The Coronavirus in Stunning Detail
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A computer animation of the new coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. The appearance of a crown comes from the spikes that poke from the surface of the virus. (Courtesy: U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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An electron-microscope image of a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 virions. Coronavirus virions use the spikes on their surface as a kind of key that binds with receptors in some human cells. (Courtesy: U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Once inside the cell, the virus releases genetic material that effectively tricks the host cell into replicating the invading virus thousands of times. (Courtesy: U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Each coronavirus virion is around 120 nanometers in diameter, meaning about 750 of them could fit across the width of a human hair. (Courtesy: U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)