Viruses are genetic parasites that require a living host cell to reproduce. They contain either DNA or RNA as their genetic material and have a protein coat called a capsid that surrounds their nucleic acid. Some viruses have an additional envelope acquired from the host cell. Viruses range in size from 0.015 to 0.4 micrometers. They are classified based on their nucleic acid composition, genome structure, presence of an envelope, and other characteristics. Viruses can be DNA or RNA viruses and have linear, circular, segmented, or non-segmented genomes that are single-stranded or double-stranded in polarity.