A scientist has two samples-the first is a prion sample, while the second is a viroid sample. However, the samples are in unlabeled tubes. The scientist wants to run a simple analysis to determine which tube contains the prion sample and which one contains the viroid. What type of molecule would she look for to do this?

Question

A scientist has two samples-the first is a prion sample, while the second is a viroid sample. However, the samples are in unlabeled tubes. The scientist wants to run a simple analysis to determine which tube contains the prion sample and which one contains the viroid. What type of molecule would she look for to do this?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prions are proteins while viroids are composed of RNA. Therefore, the scientist would look for the presence of proteins to distinguish the prion sample from the viroid sample.

A Scientist Has Two Samples-The First Is a Prion Sample