Which of the following statements is/are correct?
(1). Viruses lack enzymes necessary for the generation of energy.
(2). Viruses can be cultured in any synthetic medium.
(3). Viruses are transmitted from one organism to another by biological vectors only.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Explanation
Option 1 is right because viruses do not have the chemical
machinery needed to survive on their own.
Option 2 is wrong because they seek out host cells in which they
can multiply. Viruses can’t be grown on synthetic media (e.g. agar
[a type of geletin]) but they can be grown on cultures of bacteria.
Bacteria reproduce and live like any other living organism would, it
takes in nutrients and reproduces using binary fission (like
mitosis).Viruses on the other hand are like little aliens. They really
aren’t “living” since they don’t absorb nutrients or produce waste Rather they hook onto another cell (e.g. a bacterium) and inject
the cell with its own viral genetic code. This code then causes the
cell to produce the multiple copies of the virus, essentially doing
the reproduction for the virus at the cost of its own resources.The
virus can’t reproduce itself without another cell to “build” its
copies. Therefore we can’t grow a virus on a synthetic media .
Option 3 is also wrong because viruses enter the body from the
environment or other individuals from soil to water to air via nose,
mouth, or any breaks in the skin and seek a cell to infect.