Virus vs ViroidWhat is the Difference?
Professor DeBacco
Virus- Nucleic Acid Wrapped in a Protein Coat
A virus is an infectious agent consisting of a segment of a nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat.
Viruses cannot self replicate.
In order to multiply viruses must infect (host) cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of itself.
Viroid- Very Simple
One of the most simple structures
50-80 times smaller than the smallest viral genomes
Currently, viroids are the smallest known infectious agents that mainly cause diseases in plants.
Free floating piece of circular genetic information
Very small in size
Can only be seen with an electron microscope
Comparison
Viruses are small and simple, but viroids are smaller and even more simple
Also…
This is the appropriate time to use the word “strain”… when referring to a virus;-)
Link to Lecture Slides: drive.google.com/file/d/1SOXz...
*Due to the description character limit the full work cited for "Virus vs Viroid What is the Difference" can be viewed at... docs.google.com/document/d/1v...