Which statement about the genome of viruses is false?

• A. Some viruses have genomes made of single-stranded RNA.
• B. Viral genomes can be either DNA or RNA.
• C. All viral genomes are composed of double-stranded DNA.
• D. The genome of a virus may be linear or circular.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Review the types of nucleic acid that can make up viral genomes. Viruses can have genomes made of either DNA or RNA, and these can be single-stranded or double-stranded.
2. Understand that viral genomes are diverse: some viruses have single-stranded RNA genomes, others have double-stranded DNA genomes, and some have single-stranded DNA or double-stranded RNA genomes.
3. Recognize that the statement 'All viral genomes are composed of double-stranded DNA' is false because it excludes viruses with RNA genomes and single-stranded genomes.
4. Recall that viral genomes can be either linear or circular in shape, depending on the virus type.
5. Conclude that the false statement is the one claiming all viral genomes are double-stranded DNA, as this does not represent the full diversity of viral genome types.