Question 1

Which of the following best explains why viruses are classified as nonliving microbes?

Accepted Answer

They cannot reproduce unless inside a host cell and lack metabolic processes.

Question 2

A virus with a helical capsid structure would most likely appear as:

Accepted Answer

A hollow tube in which the viral genome is coiled inside

Question 3

Which property is NOT typically used to classify viruses?

Accepted Answer

Ability to metabolize glucose

Question 4

Which statement correctly describes the difference between enveloped and naked animal viruses during release from the host cell?

Accepted Answer

Enveloped viruses exit by budding, taking a portion of the host cell membrane.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the process of antigenic drift in influenza viruses?

Accepted Answer

Minor mutations in the HA and NA spike proteins that accumulate over time

Question 6

A single-stranded negative-sense RNA virus must first perform which step before it can synthesize viral proteins?

Accepted Answer

Transcription of its RNA into complementary mRNA using RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Question 7

Which of the following is a medically important consequence of viral genome evolution?

Accepted Answer

Viruses can evade host immune responses by changing surface proteins.

Question 8

Which method is commonly used to grow animal viruses in the laboratory?

Accepted Answer

Injection into embryonated chicken eggs

Question 9

What is the main advantage of the plaque assay in virology?

Accepted Answer

It provides a quantitative measure of infectious virus particles.

Question 10

Which of the following viruses is considered oncogenic and linked to cervical cancer?

Accepted Answer

Human papillomavirus (HPV)

Question 11

Which step in the generalized animal virus replication cycle involves the synthesis of viral proteins and genome?

Accepted Answer

Replication

Question 12

Why do RNA viruses generally evolve faster than DNA viruses?

Accepted Answer

RNA polymerases lack proofreading ability, leading to higher mutation rates.

Question 13

Which of the following is a key feature of lysogenic replication in bacteriophages?

Accepted Answer

Integration of the phage genome into the host cell chromosome

Question 14

Which laboratory method is best suited for detecting a specific viral protein in a patient sample?

Accepted Answer

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Question 15

Which antiviral drug class works by inhibiting viral reverse transcriptase?

Accepted Answer

Nucleoside/nucleotide analogs

Question 16

Which of the following is a prion disease that affects humans?

Accepted Answer

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)

Question 17

Which mechanism allows viruses to cause chronic or latent infections?

Accepted Answer

Integration of viral genome into host DNA

Question 18

Which property determines a virus's host range and tropism?

Accepted Answer

Presence of specific surface molecules that bind to host cell receptors

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the role of the viral envelope?

Accepted Answer

It helps the virus evade the host immune system and facilitates entry into host cells.

Question 20

Which step in the bacteriophage lytic cycle is responsible for the destruction of the host cell?

Accepted Answer

Release

Viruses and Prions: Structure, Replication, and Pathogenesis

Study Guide - Practice Questions