Question

RNA retroviruses have a special enzyme that

• A. disintegrates host DNA
• B. polymerizes host DNA
• C. transcribes viral RNA to cDNA.
• D. translated host DNA

Answer 1

The correct option is C transcribes viral RNA to cDNA.

A retrovirus is a type of RNA virus that inserts a copy of its genome into the DNA of a host cell that it invades thus changing the genome of that cell. Once inside the host cell cytoplasm, the virus uses its own reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome, the reverse of the usual pattern and thus retro (backward).

So, the correct option is 'transcribes viral RNA to cDNA'.