Question

Enter the answer in the space provided.
The chart lists a few structural characteristics of viruses.
1. Viruses are extraordinarily small in size.
2. Viruses are not specific to their hosts.
3. Viruses contain either DNA or RNA as genetic material.
4. Viruses lack cellular organization.
Based on the information, enter the number of the characteristic that explains why viruses are unable to reproduce on their own.

Answer 1

“The virus cannot reproduce itself outside the host because it lacks the complicated machinery that a [host] cell possesses.” The host's cellular machinery allows viruses to produce RNA from their DNA (a process calledtranscription) and to build proteins based on the instructions encoded in their RNA.