A student is learning about infections that can occur in the human body. Infections could be caused by viruses, bacteria, and fungus. The student learns about two infections, influenza and ringworm, and creates a table that describes the infections. Which of the following statements correctly describes Influenza, an infection caused by a virus? a Influenza is caused by a virus because it is a non-living infectious agent. b Influenza is caused by a bacterium because it is a non-living infectious and spreads by spores. c Influenza is caused by a fungus, because it is a DNA genome. d Influenza is caused by a virus because it is a living infectious agent that invades a host cell.

Answer 1

The correct statement that describes influenza is:

a. Influenza is caused by a virus because it is a non-living infectious agent.

Influenza is indeed caused by viruses (specifically, influenza viruses), and viruses are often considered non-living infectious agents because they cannot replicate or carry out metabolic processes without a host cell.