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Question

What are Viruses and Viroids? State the difference between them.

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Solution

Virus is an obligate intracellular parasite which can reproduce only by invading and taking over other cell as they lack the cellular machinery for self reproduction.

Viroids are subviral, smallest known agent of infectious diseases. Viroids are spread by plant propagation (cuttings and tubers) through seeds and also manually.


VIRUS Vs VIROID
VIRUSVIROIDIt is a nucleoprotein particleIt is an infectious RNA particleNucleic acid can be DNA or RNAIt is formed of only RNAA protein coat capsid is present around genetic material.A protein coat is absent around genetic materialVirus has a larger sizeViroid has a smaller sizeVirus infects all types of organism.Viroid infects only plants.
As the genetic material and structures are different in viruses and in viroids, the disease they cause also varies.

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