Some viruses consist only of a protein coat surrounding a nucleic acid core. If you wanted to radioactively label the nucleic acids separately from the protein, you would use radioactive ________.
A) sulfur
B) carbon
C) nitrogen
D) phosphorus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Phosphorus is a common component of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), so labeling with radioactive phosphorus (such as 32P) would allow the nucleic acids to be specifically labeled without affecting the protein coat.

Some Viruses Consist Only of a Protein Coat Surrounding a Nucleic