Most molecular biologists think that viruses originated from naked bits of cellular nucleic acid.Which of the following observations supports this theory?
A)Viruses contain either DNA or RNA.
B)Viruses are enclosed in protein capsids rather than plasma membranes.
C)Viruses can reproduce only inside host cells.
D)Viral genomes are usually similar to the genome of the host cell.

Question

Most molecular biologists think that viruses originated from naked bits of cellular nucleic acid.Which of the following observations supports this theory?
A)Viruses contain either DNA or RNA.
B)Viruses are enclosed in protein capsids rather than plasma membranes.
C)Viruses can reproduce only inside host cells.
D)Viral genomes are usually similar to the genome of the host cell.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The observation that viral genomes are usually similar to the genome of the host cell supports the theory that viruses originated from bits of cellular nucleic acid. This suggests that viruses may have evolved from genetic material of the host cell that was somehow separated and acquired the ability to infect other cells. The other choices (A, B, and C) provide general characteristics of viruses but do not specifically support this theory.

Most Molecular Biologists Think That Viruses Originated from Naked Bits