Asked by m
what type of GENETIC MATERIAL do viruses contain?
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GPT-5 mini
AI
Viruses contain either DNA or RNA as their genetic material — not both. That genetic material can occur in several forms:
- DNA genomes: double-stranded (dsDNA) or single-stranded (ssDNA); linear or circular. Examples: herpesviruses (dsDNA), adenoviruses (dsDNA), parvoviruses (ssDNA).
- RNA genomes: single-stranded (ssRNA) or double-stranded (dsRNA). ssRNA can be positive-sense (+) (acts as mRNA), negative-sense (−) (requires transcription to + sense), or ambisense. Examples: picornaviruses (ssRNA +, e.g., rhinovirus), orthomyxoviruses (ssRNA −, e.g., influenza), reoviruses (dsRNA).
- Retroviruses (e.g., HIV) are ssRNA + viruses that reverse-transcribe their RNA into DNA during replication. Some DNA viruses (e.g., hepatitis B) use an RNA intermediate during replication.
In short: viral genomes can be DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded, and come in several organizational forms.
- DNA genomes: double-stranded (dsDNA) or single-stranded (ssDNA); linear or circular. Examples: herpesviruses (dsDNA), adenoviruses (dsDNA), parvoviruses (ssDNA).
- RNA genomes: single-stranded (ssRNA) or double-stranded (dsRNA). ssRNA can be positive-sense (+) (acts as mRNA), negative-sense (−) (requires transcription to + sense), or ambisense. Examples: picornaviruses (ssRNA +, e.g., rhinovirus), orthomyxoviruses (ssRNA −, e.g., influenza), reoviruses (dsRNA).
- Retroviruses (e.g., HIV) are ssRNA + viruses that reverse-transcribe their RNA into DNA during replication. Some DNA viruses (e.g., hepatitis B) use an RNA intermediate during replication.
In short: viral genomes can be DNA or RNA, single- or double-stranded, and come in several organizational forms.
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