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 bacterium because it is a non-living infectious and spreads by spores. b Influenza is caused by a virus because it is a living infectious agent that invades a host cell. c Influenza is caused by a virus because it is a non-living infectious agent. d Influenza is caused by a fungus, because it is a DNA genome.

Answer 1

The correct statement that describes Influenza, an infection caused by a virus, is:

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

Viruses are considered non-living infectious agents because they cannot reproduce or carry out metabolic processes on their own; they require a host cell to replicate and spread.