The correct comparison between a virus and a unicellular organism among the provided statements is:
Unicellular organisms have a cell membrane made from a lipid bilayer; viruses have a protein coat.
Here's a brief explanation of each statement:
-
Neither unicellular organisms nor viruses respond to stimuli. - This is incorrect. Unicellular organisms can respond to stimuli, while viruses do not have the capacity to respond to stimuli in the way living cells do.
-
Viruses need energy; unicellular organisms do not need energy. - This statement is misleading. Unicellular organisms require energy to carry out metabolic functions, while viruses do not have their own metabolism and rely on the host's machinery to replicate, thus they do not "need" energy in the same sense.
-
Unicellular organisms have a cell membrane made from a lipid bilayer; viruses have a protein coat. - This is accurate. Unicellular organisms possess a lipid bilayer that forms their cell membrane, whereas viruses are composed of a protein coat (capsid) and do not have a cellular membrane.
-
Viruses reproduce through asexual reproduction; unicellular organisms need a host cell. - This statement is incorrect. Viruses reproduce by hijacking a host cell's machinery, and unicellular organisms typically reproduce asexually (e.g., binary fission) without the need for a host cell.
In summary, the most accurate comparison given is that unicellular organisms have a cell membrane made from a lipid bilayer, while viruses have a protein coat.
1 answer