The common species name of the virus is frequently based on the
A) presence or absence of a nuclear membrane.
B) type of nucleic acid it contains.
C) disease the virus causes.
D) geographic area it is found.
E) shape of the viral nucleocapsid.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The common species name of a virus is often based on the disease that it causes. For example, the species name for the virus that causes COVID-19 is SARS-CoV-2, which stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

Answer: E
 The shape of the viral nucleocapsid is often used to name viruses. For example, the species name for the virus that causes smallpox is Variola virus, which refers to the variably-shaped nucleocapsids seen under electron microscopy.

The Common Species Name of the Virus Is Frequently Based