MCAT Question A Day - 7/23/13 - Answer!
Which of the following would you expect to find on the outside of a virally-infected bacterial cell?
A. RNA
B. Lysozyme
C. Capsid
D. DNA
The correct answer is (C). Viral infection occurs when the virus attaches to the outside of the host cell and then injects its genetic material (DNA or RNA) inside (leaving its protein coat or capsid outside). Lysozyme is an enzyme produced after infection that disrupts the host’s cell wall from the inside and allows the release of newly assembled virions.
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