Viruses are exceedingly small and round and simple with few genes, with the exception of which of the following?

Question

Choose at least one answer: a) Phycodnaviruses of algae, b) Smallpox viruses with a brick shape, c) Ebola with very extended filaments, d) Small round viruses of diarrhoea

Answer 1

Hi!

The question stem includes a lot of clues that you can use to answer this question. It is asking us to identify which viruses are not small and round with a small genome. So if we evaluate our answer choices:

(A) Phycodnavirus is a family with icosahedral capsids (referring to shape, this is not round more like a 20 sided pyramidal ball) and large DNA genomes therefore A IS an exception and you would mark that.

(B) Smallpox is another large DNA virus with a brick shaped capsid per the answer choice instead of a round capsid therefore B IS also an exception and you would mark that too.

(C) Ebola is a member of the Filoviridae family of viruses, which look liked branched filaments - they are not spherical at all therefore C IS also an exception and should be marked too.

(D) Round small viruses that cause diarrhea - the description already tells us that these viruses are NOT an exception and fit the typical description mentioned in the question stem thus this answer choice would not be marked.

Hope that helps!