Final answer:
The two true statements about the human virome are that some viruses can be dormant in the body and that it include viruses that infect our commensal bacteria. Option a and d are the answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked which two statements concerning the human virome are true. The correct answers to this question are that some viruses are in a dormant state in the body, and the human virome includes viruses that infect our commensal bacteria.
Viruses can exhibit a dormant state in the human body, which can occur in different forms, such as existing as circular viral genome molecules outside of the host chromosome or integrating themselves as proviruses within the host genome. During such latent periods, the viruses do not produce symptoms and may be undetectable without specific viral diagnostic tests.
The human virome also includes a vast array of viruses, some of which infect the bacteria that live in symbiosis within our bodies, known as commensal bacteria. These viruses, called bacteriophages, play a significant role in regulating the populations of these bacteria and influencing the health and disease states of the human host.
Moreover, it is essential to clarify misconceptions from the statements provided: not all viruses in the human virome are pathogenic, and more than just a few cell types in the human body can be susceptible to viral infection. Viruses are indeed obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they must infect host cells to reproduce, but the specificity of their infection can vary widely, with some viruses capable of infecting a broad range of cells.