Bacteriophages derive all of the following from the host cell except:

• A. Nucleotides for genome replication
• B. Ribosomes for translation
• C. Capsid proteins
• D. Amino acids for protein synthesis

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the role of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) and how they utilize host cell machinery. Bacteriophages rely on the host cell to provide many components necessary for their replication and assembly.
2. Step 2: Identify what bacteriophages obtain from the host cell. They use nucleotides from the host to replicate their genome, amino acids from the host for protein synthesis, and ribosomes from the host to translate their mRNA into proteins.
3. Step 3: Recognize that capsid proteins are viral structural proteins encoded by the phage's own genome, not derived from the host cell. The phage synthesizes these proteins using the host's machinery but does not obtain them directly from the host.
4. Step 4: Compare each option to determine which is not directly taken from the host. Since nucleotides, ribosomes, and amino acids come from the host, but capsid proteins are produced by the phage itself, capsid proteins are the exception.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the correct answer is 'Capsid proteins' because bacteriophages synthesize these proteins themselves using the host's resources, rather than obtaining them directly from the host cell.