A typical bacteriophage consists of
Correct answer: A. a head containing nucleic acid attached to a protein tail with tail fibres
- A. a head containing nucleic acid attached to a protein tail with tail fibres
- B. an RNA core surrounded by a lipid envelope only
- C. a single infectious protein molecule
- D. DNA enclosed in a polysaccharide capsule
Explanation
The phage's icosahedral head packs the DNA, and the hollow tail with base plate and fibres anchors to the bacterium and injects the genome. Descriptions involving envelopes or capsules belong to animal viruses and bacteria instead.
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About Viruses
Viruses are acellular infectious particles made of genetic material enclosed by a protein capsid, sometimes with a lipid envelope. Their replication depends on a host cell and may follow lytic or lysogenic cycles, so viral structure and reproduction differ fundamentally from those of cellular organisms such as bacteria.
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