Which organism is not a DNA virus?

Study for the NBEO Microbiology exam. Prepare with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which organism is not a DNA virus?

Explanation:
The key idea here is distinguishing viruses by the type of genome they carry: DNA or RNA. Influenza has an RNA genome (negative-sense, single-stranded RNA, segmented) and does all transcription and replication with an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase brought in by the virus; there is no DNA stage in its life cycle. The other organisms listed—Hepatitis B, Adenovirus, and CMV—have DNA genomes (Hepatitis B is a DNA virus that uses reverse transcription during replication, while Adenovirus and CMV are double-stranded DNA viruses). So the one that is not a DNA virus is the influenza organism.

The key idea here is distinguishing viruses by the type of genome they carry: DNA or RNA. Influenza has an RNA genome (negative-sense, single-stranded RNA, segmented) and does all transcription and replication with an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase brought in by the virus; there is no DNA stage in its life cycle. The other organisms listed—Hepatitis B, Adenovirus, and CMV—have DNA genomes (Hepatitis B is a DNA virus that uses reverse transcription during replication, while Adenovirus and CMV are double-stranded DNA viruses). So the one that is not a DNA virus is the influenza organism.

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