Textbook Question
Identify the viral capsid shapes.
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1. Introduction to Microbiology
Acellular Infectious Agents: Viruses, Viroids & Prions
Multiple Choice
Which of the following is a true statement about prions?
A
Prions can be destroyed by standard autoclaving procedures.
B
Prions are infectious proteins that lack nucleic acids.
C
Prions replicate by binary fission.
D
Prions are composed of single-stranded RNA.
Verified step by step guidance1
Step 1: Understand what prions are. Prions are infectious agents composed solely of protein, without any nucleic acids (DNA or RNA). This is a key characteristic that distinguishes them from viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.
Step 2: Recognize that prions cause disease by inducing abnormal folding of normal cellular proteins, particularly in the brain, leading to neurodegenerative conditions.
Step 3: Evaluate the statements given: Prions cannot be destroyed by standard autoclaving because they are highly resistant to conventional sterilization methods; they do not replicate by binary fission since they are not living cells; and they are not composed of single-stranded RNA, as they lack nucleic acids entirely.
Step 4: Conclude that the true statement is the one that correctly identifies prions as infectious proteins lacking nucleic acids.
Step 5: Remember that prions challenge traditional definitions of infectious agents because they propagate by protein misfolding rather than genetic replication.
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