False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of Herpes simplex, the virus type causing genital herpes & cold sores. Herpes simplex is a member of the herpesvirus group, DNA-containing viruses that cause latent infections in man & animals. Individual virions (virus particles) are icosahedral in shape, acquiring a lipoprotein envelope (appear as well-defined rings around the central virus cores in image) that surrounds the nucleic acid core & protein capsid. The lipoprotein envelope is derived from the host cell's nuclear membrane as it passes from the nucleus into the cytoplasm after replication has occurred. Magnification: X 58,800 at 35mm size.