Question

Viroids attack mainly _________

• A. plants, animals and bacteria
• B. animals only
• C. animals and plants
• D. plants only

Hint:

Viroids lack capsid proteins and are exclusively plant pathogens.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding viroids.
Viroids are the smallest known infectious agents composed solely of short strands of circular, single-stranded RNA without a protein coat.

Step 2: Host specificity.
Viroids are known to infect only plants, where they interfere with normal gene expression and cause plant diseases such as potato spindle tuber disease.

Step 3: Eliminating other options.
Animals and bacteria are not infected by viroids; animals are affected by viruses and prions instead.

Step 4: Conclusion.
Hence, viroids attack plants only.