Question

How are viruses different from viruses?

Answer 1

Viroids are the plant pathogens that are small, circular, single-stranded particles. They do not contribute to the protein production but they are very important secondary structures. They consist of nucleic acid without protein.

Complete answer:

Viroids are different from viruses in many ways:
Viroids do not have an outer envelope or the capsid but in viruses, they only reproduce within the host cell.
Viroids do not produce any proteins. They produce only single RNA whereas viruses produce proteins.
Viroids consist of nucleic acid without any protein coat but on the other hand, viruses composed of the nucleic acid with a coat of protein.
In viruses, RNA can be copied in the nucleus or cytoplasm whereas in viroids, RNA or DNA molecules can be copied only in the nucleus.
Viroids do not need any kind of help from a virus to infect the cell. They are relatively smaller as compared to the viruses. Viruses can infect both plants and animals. On the other hand, viroids can infect only plants.
Viroids are the simple structures compared to the viruses.

Note: Viroids do not cause any human disease. They are responsible for the failures of crops. The plants that are affected by the viroids are tomatoes, potatoes, coconut palms, etc. Viroids contain only RNA molecules which do not coat protein whereas viruses contain RNA or DNA molecules that are enclosed within a protein coat. Viroids are the secondary structures that are devoid of the proteins.