Sickle cell anemia is a disease that affects the shape of red blood cells. The following diagram illustrates the differences between normal red blood cells and sickle-shaped cells.

When a virus infects a host cell, it uses the cell's machinery to make copies of its own genetic material in a process called replication. finally, during the process of self-assembly, that protein shell and the copies of the virus's genetic material are assembled into new viruses.