Question:

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion A and the other is labelled as Reason R.
Assertion A: Viruses are termed as obligate intracellular parasites.
Reason R: Viruses cannot reproduce independently, they can grow only inside a living cell.
In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:

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The word 'obligate' means restricted to a particular lifestyle, and 'intracellular' means inside the cell. Together, they describe the requirement of a virus to hijack host cell machinery to replicate.
  • Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
  • Both A and R are true but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
  • A is true but R is false
  • A is false but R is true
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Viruses exist at the boundary between living organisms and non-living matter.
They lack their own cellular machinery for metabolism and translation, which dictates their parasitic lifestyle.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:

Assertion A Analysis: An obligate intracellular parasite is an entity that must live inside a host cell to carry out its life processes.
Because viruses lack their own metabolic machinery, they are classified as obligate intracellular parasites. Thus, Assertion A is correct.
Reason R Analysis: Outside of a host cell, a virus is an inert particle (virion) with no metabolic activity, respiration, or ability to self-replicate.
To replicate, a virus must infect a susceptible host cell and hijack the host's enzymes, ribosomes, tRNA, and energy reserves to synthesize its own genetic material and structural proteins.
Therefore, viruses cannot reproduce independently and must grow inside a living host cell. Thus, Reason R is correct.
Evaluating the Relationship: The term "obligate intracellular parasite" is defined by a virus's inability to reproduce independently and its reliance on a host cell.
Therefore, Reason R is the correct explanation of Assertion A.

Step 3: Final Answer:

Hence, both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
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