Question 1

Which of the following statements best explains why viruses are described as 'filterable' agents?

Accepted Answer

They are small enough to pass through filters that retain bacteria, yet remain infectious.

Question 2

Which of the following is a more accurate way to describe viruses than 'alive' or 'dead'?

Accepted Answer

Active or inactive

Question 3

A virus with a helical capsid and an envelope is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Be pleomorphic and flexible

Question 4

Which of the following best describes the genetic material found in viruses?

Accepted Answer

Viruses contain either DNA or RNA, but never both.

Question 5

A virus that can only replicate in the presence of another virus is best described as a:

Accepted Answer

Satellite virus

Question 6

Which of the following is NOT a function of viral surface proteins (spikes)?

Accepted Answer

Synthesizing viral nucleic acids

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a possible configuration of viral nucleic acid?

Accepted Answer

Double-stranded protein

Question 8

A virus that integrates its DNA into the host genome and remains latent is called a:

Accepted Answer

Provirus

Question 9

Which of the following best explains why antiviral drugs are more difficult to design than antibacterial drugs?

Accepted Answer

Viruses use host cell machinery for replication, making selective targeting difficult.

Question 10

Which of the following is a cytopathic effect (CPE) that can be observed in virus-infected cells?

Accepted Answer

Formation of syncytia (multinucleated giant cells)

Question 11

A bacterium that acquires the ability to produce a toxin after infection by a temperate phage is an example of:

Accepted Answer

Lysogenic conversion

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a method for cultivating animal viruses?

Accepted Answer

Growth on nutrient agar plates

Question 13

Which of the following is true regarding prions?

Accepted Answer

They are infectious proteins that lack nucleic acid.

Question 14

Which of the following steps is NOT part of the generalized life cycle of an animal virus?

Accepted Answer

Binary fission

Question 15

A virus with a segmented genome is most likely to:

Accepted Answer

Have its genes on separate pieces of RNA

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of a disease caused by a prion?

Accepted Answer

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of viruses in evolution?

Accepted Answer

Viruses shape the genetic makeup of cells by integrating their genetic material.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a property of all viruses?

Accepted Answer

Ability to synthesize their own proteins

Question 19

Which of the following is a correct order of the animal virus replication cycle?

Accepted Answer

Adsorption → Penetration → Uncoating → Synthesis → Assembly → Release

Question 20

Which of the following is a reason why antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections?

Accepted Answer

Viruses lack the metabolic pathways targeted by antibiotics.

Viruses and Prions: Structure, Classification, Life Cycle, and Impact

Study Guide - Practice Questions