Which of the following components can be found in a bacteriophage?

• A. Double-stranded DNA
• B. Cell wall
• C. Peptidoglycan
• D. Ribosomes

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand what a bacteriophage is. A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacteria. It is composed of genetic material and a protein coat, but it does not have cellular structures like bacteria do.
2. Step 2: Identify the components listed in the problem. The options are double-stranded DNA, cell wall, peptidoglycan, and ribosomes.
3. Step 3: Recall that bacteriophages contain genetic material, which can be either DNA or RNA, but commonly double-stranded DNA. This genetic material is enclosed within a protein capsid.
4. Step 4: Recognize that cell walls and peptidoglycan are structural components of bacterial cells, not viruses. Bacteriophages do not have cell walls or peptidoglycan layers.
5. Step 5: Understand that ribosomes are cellular organelles responsible for protein synthesis and are found in living cells, including bacteria, but not in viruses like bacteriophages.