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

1 answer

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

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

Influenza is indeed caused by a virus, which is considered non-living outside of a host cell. It does not have the characteristics of living organisms, such as cellular structure or metabolism, and it requires a host cell to replicate.