Chat with AI
Microbiology: A Human Perspective 7th Edition by Eugene Nester,Martha Nester,Denise Anderson, Evans Roberts
Edition 7ISBN: 978-0077573645Microbiology: A Human Perspective 7th Edition by Eugene Nester,Martha Nester,Denise Anderson, Evans Roberts
Edition 7ISBN: 978-0077573645 Exercise 1
A microbiologist obtained two pure biological samples: one of a virus, and the other of a viroid. Unfortunately, the labels had been lost. The microbiologist felt she could distinguish the two by analyzing for the presence or absence of a single molecule.What molecule would she search for and why?
Explanation
Verified
Verified
A virus is a small infectious agent replicating inside the host cell using host cell machinery. A virus consists of a nucleic acid. The nucleic acid can be DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) or RNA (ribonucleic acid) and a coat protein. Viruses can infect all forms of life, from bacteria, fungus, plants to animals, including humans. However, viruses affecting one life form cannot infect other life forms, that is they are specific to organisms.
Viroid's are the smallest infectious pathogens known till date. They are only made of RNA, which is short, circular, single-stranded. It does not have a protein coat. They are mostly infecting higher plants, and cause catastrophic economic loss.
In the given case, the microbiologist lost the labels for virus and the viroid. Since the labels are not there, she can perform A test to identify the presence of DNA. Since, viroid is an RNA molecule and does not have DNA, the presence of DNA molecule can determine, which sample is a virus.
However, if the virus sample also has RNA, and not DNA, then protein identification tests can be performed, as the virus has a coat protein. However, this is a tedious technique and can be performed only if needed.
Viroid's are the smallest infectious pathogens known till date. They are only made of RNA, which is short, circular, single-stranded. It does not have a protein coat. They are mostly infecting higher plants, and cause catastrophic economic loss.
In the given case, the microbiologist lost the labels for virus and the viroid. Since the labels are not there, she can perform A test to identify the presence of DNA. Since, viroid is an RNA molecule and does not have DNA, the presence of DNA molecule can determine, which sample is a virus.
However, if the virus sample also has RNA, and not DNA, then protein identification tests can be performed, as the virus has a coat protein. However, this is a tedious technique and can be performed only if needed.
Microbiology: A Human Perspective 7th Edition by Eugene Nester,Martha Nester,Denise Anderson, Evans Roberts
Why don’t you like this exercise?
Other Minimum 8 character and maximum 255 character
Character 255
