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Difficulty: HardViruses: Structure and Characteristics

A single virion contains both DNA and RNA concurrently enclosed within its protein capsid to enable independent protein synthesis outside a living host cell.

Answer: Answer

Answer

The statement is False. A virus contains either DNA or RNA as its genetic material, never both concurrently, and lacks metabolic machinery for independent protein synthesis.
The statement is false because virions carry either DNA or RNA as their genetic material, never both within the same capsid, and possess no cellular machinery to perform independent protein synthesis.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the genomic architecture of viruses.
Viruses possess a core of genetic material composed of either single-stranded or double-stranded DNA, or single-stranded or double-stranded RNA, but never both nucleic acids within the same virion.
This single-type nucleic acid genome is a defining biochemical feature separating viruses from cellular organisms.
2
Assess the metabolic and cellular capabilities of viruses outside host cells.
Viruses lack cytoplasm, cellular organelles (such as ribosomes and mitochondria), and autonomous metabolic pathways.
Because they lack translational machinery, viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that cannot synthesize proteins independently.

Key Concept

Viral Genome Composition and Acellular Inertness
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Topics

Viruses: Structure and Characteristics

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