Question

Researchers use cell culture to grow a pathogen. The researchers observe that the pathogen has RNA as its genetic material and that the number of pathogenic material increases in the cell culture. The researchers claim that the pathogen is a virus.

Which evidence best supports the researchers’ claim?


The pathogen infects cells.

The pathogen causes disease.

The pathogen grows by dividing its cytoplasm.

The pathogen uses the cells’ structures to reproduce.

Answer 1

The pathogen uses the cells’ structures to reproduce.

Step-by-step explanation:

A feature specific to viruses is that they cannot replicate without a host cell. They infect the cells and hijack the cell's machinery to replicate its genome and express its proteins. This allows new viral particles to assemble. It cannot divide in the cytoplasm.

Viruses are not the only pathogens that infect cells and causes disease - bacteria and parasites can also do this. Therefore, these pieces of evidence do not support the claim that the pathogen is a virus.