Question 1

Which of the following best describes why viruses are considered acellular pathogens?

Accepted Answer

They lack the cellular machinery for independent metabolism and reproduction.

Question 2

A virus with a lipid envelope surrounding its capsid is classified as which type of virus?

Accepted Answer

Enveloped virus

Question 3

Which of the following is a unique feature of retroviruses such as HIV?

Accepted Answer

They use reverse transcriptase to convert RNA into DNA.

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why antiviral drugs are difficult to develop?

Accepted Answer

Any drug that kills viruses may also harm host cells due to their intracellular lifestyle.

Question 5

Which of the following is a correct statement about the viral life cycle in bacteriophages?

Accepted Answer

Temperate phages can enter a lysogenic cycle, integrating their DNA into the host genome.

Question 6

Which of the following is a zoonosis?

Accepted Answer

A virus transmitted from an animal to a human.

Question 7

Which laboratory technique is most appropriate for detecting the presence of an RNA virus in a patient sample?

Accepted Answer

Reverse Transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR)

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the function of viral spikes?

Accepted Answer

They enable the virus to attach to and enter host cells.

Question 9

Which of the following is true regarding prions?

Accepted Answer

They are infectious proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases.

Question 10

A patient is diagnosed with a viral infection using an ICD code. What is the primary purpose of this code?

Accepted Answer

To track and manage diseases for clinical and epidemiological purposes.

Question 11

Which of the following best explains why viruses are not classified using the binomial nomenclature system?

Accepted Answer

Viruses mutate rapidly, making genus and species classification difficult.

Question 12

Which of the following is a characteristic of viroids?

Accepted Answer

They are non-self-replicating, pathogenic ssRNAs that require a helper virus.

Question 13

Which of the following is a correct pairing of viral genome type and replication site in eukaryotic cells?

Accepted Answer

Most RNA viruses replicate in the cytoplasm.

Question 14

Which of the following is a real-world example of an oncovirus?

Accepted Answer

Hepatitis B virus causing liver cancer

Question 15

Which of the following best describes the role of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase in viral replication?

Accepted Answer

It is unique to viruses and synthesizes RNA from an RNA template.

Question 16

A patient with untreated HIV develops pneumonia caused by a fungus that rarely infects healthy individuals. This is an example of:

Accepted Answer

An opportunistic infection

Question 17

Which of the following is a correct sequence of steps in the lytic cycle of a bacteriophage?

Accepted Answer

Attachment, penetration, biosynthesis, maturation, lysis

Question 18

Which of the following is a reason why prion diseases are difficult to control?

Accepted Answer

Prions are resistant to standard sterilization procedures.

Question 19

Which of the following best explains the difference between positive-strand and negative-strand RNA viruses?

Accepted Answer

Positive-strand RNA can be directly translated by host ribosomes, while negative-strand RNA must first be transcribed into positive-strand RNA.

Acellular Pathogens: Viruses, Viroids, and Prions

Study Guide - Practice Questions