Which statement about viruses is true?

Which statement about viruses is true?

• A. They cannot reproduce unless they infect living cells
• B. They can reproduce on their own in host tissue
• C. They do not contain genetic material
• D. They are always beneficial to humans

Answer: (B)

Viruses reproduce by hijacking a living cell’s machinery. They lack the full cellular systems to copy their genetic material and produce viral proteins on their own, so they must infect a host cell and use that cell’s ribosomes, enzymes, and energy to replicate. Outside a cell, they’re essentially inert, waiting to infect. That’s why the statement that viruses can reproduce on their own in host tissue isn’t correct—their reproduction depends on living cells. It’s also important to note that viruses do contain genetic material (DNA or RNA), so the idea that they do not contain genetic material is false. And while some viruses can be harmful, they aren’t always beneficial, so that statement isn’t accurate either. The central idea is their status as obligate intracellular parasites: they need a host cell to reproduce.

Viruses reproduce by hijacking a living cell’s machinery. They lack the full cellular systems to copy their genetic material and produce viral proteins on their own, so they must infect a host cell and use that cell’s ribosomes, enzymes, and energy to replicate. Outside a cell, they’re essentially inert, waiting to infect. That’s why the statement that viruses can reproduce on their own in host tissue isn’t correct—their reproduction depends on living cells.

It’s also important to note that viruses do contain genetic material (DNA or RNA), so the idea that they do not contain genetic material is false. And while some viruses can be harmful, they aren’t always beneficial, so that statement isn’t accurate either. The central idea is their status as obligate intracellular parasites: they need a host cell to reproduce.