You have isolated the genome from a novel virus and would like to determine its composition. You have three tu each containing one of these substances:
1) a protein that degrades dsDNA DNase, tube 1)
2) a protein that degrades ssRNA RNase, tube 2)
3) a protease that degrades viral proteins tube 3)
You add some of your novel genome to tubes 1, 2, and 3. The genome is degraded in tube 2, but not in tube 1 or t
3) Based on your knowledge of genome types that have been found in viruses, what could the genome's composition be?
A) ssDNA
B) ssRNA
C) dsDNA
D) protein
E) None of the above seem likely.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the genome was degraded in tube 2 containing RNase, which degrades ssRNA, that suggests that the genome may be composed of ssRNA. The fact that it was not degraded in tubes 1 or 3, which degrade dsDNA and viral proteins respectively, rules out other possibilities such as dsDNA, protein, or non-nucleic acid based genomes.

You Have Isolated the Genome from a Novel Virus and Would