What are the components of a virus?

Viruses are fundamentally composed of two main components: a protein coat, also known as a capsid, and genetic material, which can be either DNA or RNA. The capsid serves to protect the viral genetic material and aid in the delivery of that genetic material into host cells. This structure is essential for the virus's ability to infect host organisms and replicate itself.

The genetic material carries the information necessary for the virus to hijack host cellular machinery for reproduction, ensuring the virus can create copies of itself. This basic structure is unique to viruses, distinguishing them from living cells, which possess various organelles and more complex cellular components.

The other options contain components that are not typically found in viruses. For instance, a capsule and organelle refer to structures associated with cellular life forms, while membranes and ribosomes are features of cellular organisms, not viruses. Additionally, a cell wall and DNA suggest a prokaryotic or eukaryotic structure, which again does not apply to the acellular nature of viruses. Therefore, the combination of a protein coat and genetic material defines the virus's basic architecture.