Q: Which of the following statements is/are correct?
- Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy
- Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium.
- Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Correct Answer: Option (a)
- Viruses do not have the chemical machinery needed to survive on their own. They need enzymes for their growth. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- Viruses seek out host cells in which they can multiply. Viruses can’t be grown on synthetic media (e.g. agar [a type of gelatine]) but they can be grown on cultures of bacteria. Bacteria reproduce and live like any other living organism would, it takes in nutrients and reproduces using binary fission (like mitosis). Viruses on the other hand are like little aliens. They really aren’t “living” since they don’t absorb nutrients or produce waste. Rather they hook onto another cell (e.g. a bacterium) and inject the cell with its own viral genetic code. This code then causes the cell to produce the multiple copies of the virus, essentially doing the reproduction for the virus at the cost of its own resources. The virus can’t reproduce itself without another cell to “build” its copies. Therefore, we can’t grow a virus on a synthetic media. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
- Viruses enter the body from the environment or other individuals from soil to water to air via nose, mouth, or any breaks in the skin and seek a cell to infect. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
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