Prions differ from every other infectious agent because they contain
Correct answer: D. no nucleic acid at all
- A. RNA only
- B. DNA only
- C. an envelope of host lipid
- D. no nucleic acid at all
Explanation
A prion is a misfolded form of a normal cellular protein that converts healthy copies of that protein into the same abnormal shape, so infection spreads without any genetic material being transmitted. This is why prions survive boiling, formalin and radiation doses that destroy viruses. Diseases such as scrapie, mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt Jakob disease are caused this way.
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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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