Viruses are ________ inside a protein shell.

• A. polysaccharides
• B. phospholipid bilayers
• C. nucleic acids
• D. ribosomes

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the basic structure of a virus: Viruses consist of genetic material surrounded by a protective protein coat called a capsid.
2. Recall that the genetic material inside viruses can be either DNA or RNA, which are types of nucleic acids.
3. Recognize that polysaccharides are complex carbohydrates and are not the main component inside the virus.
4. Know that phospholipid bilayers are characteristic of cell membranes, not the core of viruses, although some viruses have an outer envelope derived from host membranes.
5. Identify that ribosomes are cellular structures for protein synthesis and are not found inside viruses; thus, the correct answer is nucleic acids.