Viral growth in bird embryos can cause discrete, opaque spots in the embryonic membranes called:

• A. capsomeres
• B. plaques
• C. inclusion bodies
• D. pocks

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the context: Viral growth in bird embryos is often studied by observing the effects of viruses on the embryonic membranes, which can show visible signs of infection.
2. Review the options given: capsomeres, plaques, inclusion bodies, and pocks, and recall their definitions in virology and microbiology.
3. Recall that capsomeres are protein subunits that make up the capsid of a virus, so they are structural components, not visible spots on membranes.
4. Remember that plaques are clear zones caused by viral lysis on a bacterial lawn, typically used in bacteriophage assays, not in bird embryos.
5. Recognize that pocks are discrete, opaque spots formed on the membranes of bird embryos due to viral growth, which matches the description in the problem.