Question

Hypothesize why it is difficult to treat viral infections by blocking protein synthesis:

A. viral ribosomes are naturally resistant to drug treatment

B. viral ribosomes are held within their capsids and are inaccessible to the drugs

C. viruses use host ribosomes to produce proteins

D. viruses make protein without using ribosomes

Answer 1

Option	Response	Reason
A	Wrong	Viruses don't have ribosomes. Therefore they lack the protein synthesis ability.
B	Wrong	Viruses don't have any ribosomes and other cellular organelles.
C	Right	As viral cells do not have ribosomes, they infect the host cell and use their ribosomes and other cell machinery to synthesise viral proteins and then assembling them into a virion. It is for this reason, the viruses infect the host cells because they want to replicate, but couldn't as they do not possess ability to synthesise their own structure, thereby using the host cells to replicate.
D	Wrong	Proteins can not be made without the help of ribosomes.