NTA Abhyas NEET2020BotanyBiological ClassificationPractice
The smallest disease-causing agent is ________, and it is made up of ___________
Options
- A(i) mycoplasma (ii) proteins and nucleic acids
- B(i) prions, (ii) proteins only
- C(i) Viroids, (ii) nucleic acid only
- D(i) Viroids, (ii) proteins only
Correct answer
B. (i) prions, (ii) proteins only
Step-by-step solution
Prions are discovered by Prusiner in 1982. They are the smallest infectious protein particles which lack nucleic acid. Prions are modified hydrophobic glycoproteins that are resistant to protease action compared with normal proteins; they function as infectious agents. Prions change normal proteins to an infectious form, and they are found to cause diseases in animals and not in plants.