What is the name of a new and separate class of disease-producing molecules that convert normal protein molecules into dangerous ones?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Prions are a new and separate class of disease-producing molecules that propagate by converting normal protein molecules into dangerous ones. They are unique in that they are infectious proteins, devoid of DNA or RNA, that can induce abnormal folding of normal cellular prion proteins in the brain, leading to neurodegeneration and various neurological disorders. Scrapie is a prion disease that affects sheep, while DNA/RNA are genetic material and algae are not related to this topic.

What Is the Name of a New and Separate Class