Question

Which one of the following statements about viruses is correct:

• A. Viruses possess their own metabolic system
• B. All viruses contain both RNA and DNA
• C. Viruses are obligate parasites
• D. Nucleic acid of viruses is known as capsid

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

Viruses are obligate parasites

Answer 2

Viruses are obligate parasites because they cannot carry out metabolic processes or reproduce independently. They rely on the cellular machinery of a host organism to replicate and propagate. Viruses are essentially genetic material (either DNA or RNA) enclosed in a protein coat, which is called a capsid (option D is incorrect). Option A is incorrect because viruses lack their own metabolic systems, and option B is incorrect because not all viruses contain both RNA and DNA; they can have one or the other as their genetic material.

So, the correct option is (C): Viruses are obligate parasites