Question

Which character favours nonliving nature of virus?

• A. Absence of RNA
• B. Absence of nucleus
• C. Abiotic state
• D. Ability of reversible crystallization

Answer 1

The correct option is D Ability of reversible crystallization

Viruses are ultramicroscopic disease producing organisms. They have two fundamental characteristics of living system i.e. presence of nucleic acid as genetic material and the ability to produce their own copies. They have no cellular organization and no metabolic machinery of their own. They are obligatory intracellular parasites as they are completely inactive outside the host.

They can be crystallized and even in their crystalline form, they retain their infectivity. Wendall Stanley was the first to purify and crystallize a plant virus called Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV) and he showed that even in crystalline form the virus retains it's infectivity. This showed the non living nature of the virus.

So, the correct answer is D.