Q2 / 180 · NEET 2016 (Phase 1) · Botany
Which of the following statements is wrong for viroids?
- AThey lack a protein coat
- BThey are smaller than viruses
- CThey cause infections
- Correct answerDTheir RNA is of high molecular weight
Solution
In viroids, RNA is of low molecular weight. Viroids, the smallest known pathogens, are naked, circular, single-stranded RNA molecules that do not encode protein yet replicate autonomously when introduced into host plants. Potato spindle tuber viroid, discovered in 1971, is the prototype; 29 other viroids have since been discovered ranging in length from 120 to 475 nucleotides. Viroids only infect plants; some cause economically important diseases of crop plants, while others appear to be benign.
Hence, the correct answer is option: 'D'.