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2 votes
Prions

A) consist of a special nucleocapsid.
B) are made of protein only.
C) are made of RNA only.
D) are made of dsRNA and protein.

1 Answer

4 votes

Final answer:

Prions are infectious agents composed entirely of protein and contain no nucleic acids, causing diseases by altering the folding of other normal proteins in the brain.

Step-by-step explanation:

Prions are unique infectious agents that challenge our traditional understanding of what it takes to be an infectious particle. Unlike viruses, which consist of nucleic acids surrounded by a protein coat, or capsid, prions contain no DNA or RNA. The correct answer to your question is B) are made of protein only. Prions are purely protein-based and have a structure that allows them to replicate by causing other normal proteins to misfold in the same way, leading to a cascade of misfolding events and subsequent cellular damage.

This disruptive process can result in progressive brain disorders such as mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Thus, prions are essentially misfolded versions of normal proteins that can induce other proteins to adopt their misfolded shape, contributing to disease.

User Sajit Gangadharan
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