Final answer:
Viroids and viruses share the common feature of possessing genetic material necessary for replication. A botanist can differentiate between a viroid and a virus infection in a tomato plant by detecting the presence of RNA without a protein coat, which signifies a viroid rather than a virus.
Step-by-step explanation:
Viroids and viruses are alike in that c) Both viroids and viruses possess genetic material for replication. Viroids are infectious agents that consist of a small, circular single-stranded RNA and do not have a protein coat, unlike viruses, which are typically composed of genetic material – DNA or RNA – encased inside a protein coat called a capsid. While most viruses require a host cell to replicate, they can contain either DNA or RNA as their genetic material, but not both simultaneously.
A botanist can confirm whether a diseased tomato plant is infected with a viroid rather than a virus by analyzing the genetic material of the infectious agent. Since viroids consist solely of RNA and lack a protein coat, their presence can be detected using specific RNA-based tests, separating them from viruses that can contain DNA and have protein coats. Furthermore, as viroids do not produce proteins, any detection of viral proteins would suggest a virus, not a viroid, is present.