Question

Viruses were called as “Contagium vivum fluidum” by
A. Felix d’Herelle
B. Bawden and Pirie
C. Twort
D. Beijerinck

Answer 1

A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that only replicates within an organism's living cells. When a cell is invaded with viruses, they destroy the host cell and take over the host cell's machinery to reproduce themselves. From animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea, viruses infect all kinds of life forms.

Complete Answer:
To define a virus, the term "Contagium vivum fluidum " was first used. It stressed its ability to pass through the finest filters of mesh, giving it almost liquid properties. When researching the tobacco mosaic virus, Martinus Beijerinck (1851-1931), a Dutch microbiologist and botanist, first used the term, being convinced that the virus had a liquid nature. Contagium vivum fluidum is a Latin term that was first suggested in 1898 by Martinus Beijerinck to describe a virus as being liquid. Contagium vivum fluidum means “Contagious liquid fluid” in Latin.

Dmitri Ivanovsky (1892), who found the cause of tobacco mosaic disease, and noticed that it could travel through the porcelain filter of Chamberland, but unfortunately thought that the perpetrators could only solve it because of a broken philtre.

Beijerinck put forth the notion in 1898 that the pathogen was too small and that they could escape through the barrier usually used to capture the bacteria and then postulated it as a liquid nature with the potential to move through the finest mesh filters and therefore suggested the term. Beijerinck published his findings, named his discovery 'contagium vivum fluidum' or infection, and turned to further research. Unfortunately, he did not survive long enough to either see his virus particles or learn how common and powerful they are.

Hence the correct answer is option D.

Note: Beijerinck is known to have been one of the pioneers of virology. Beijerinck has discovered nitrogen fixation, a mechanism by which diatomic nitrogen gas is converted to ammonium ions and made available to plants. Bacteria conduct nitrogen fixation, inhabiting the root nodules of some plants.