A newly discovered pathogen exhibits rapid antigenic variation and evolves at a very fast rate. Upon extraction, its genetic material is found to be highly labile and easily degradable. Based on these characteristics, identify the most likely nature of its genetic material and the specific chemical group primarily responsible for this lability.

Step-by-step solution

The pathogen exhibits rapid evolution, which implies a high mutation rate. According to NCERT, viruses having an RNA genome and a shorter life span mutate and evolve faster. The chemical instability (lability) of RNA is primarily due to the presence of the 2'-OH (hydroxyl) group on the ribose sugar of every nucleotide. This reactive group makes RNA easily degradable and catalytic. DNA lacks this 2'-OH group (having deoxyribose instead), making it chemically more stable. Therefore, the genetic material is RNA, and t