A microbiologist obtains two samples one of a virus and the

A microbiologist obtains two samples: one of a virus and the other of a viroid. He mixes the labels and is not sure which is which. What is one molecule that he could analyze and try to detect the presence of that would help him distinguish between the two and put the correct labels on?

Solution

Viiruses have either DNA or RNA genome as the genetic material covered with a protein capsid but viroids and virusoids consist of naked RNA. Viroids lack protein coat. The other difference is viruses are of various shapes and sizes but viroids and virusoids are covalently closed circular RNA molecules.Viruses infect all organisms but viriods infect only plants