NIC Nail Technician Written ExamScientific ConceptsHard
A client has a visible infection on their finger, characterized by redness, swelling, and a clear, watery discharge, but no pus. The technician suspects a viral infection. Which of the following is a characteristic of viruses that differentiates them from bacteria, making them harder to treat with antibiotics?
- AViruses require a living host cell to reproduce.
- BViruses contain both DNA and RNA.
- CViruses have a cell wall.
- DViruses are single-celled organisms.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Viruses require a living host cell to reproduce.
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they cannot replicate or carry out metabolic processes without invading a living host cell. This characteristic makes them fundamentally different from bacteria and explains why antibiotics (which target bacterial cell structures or metabolic pathways) are ineffective against viral infections.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Viruses typically contain either DNA or RNA, but not usually both within the same virion, unlike cells which contain both.
- C. Viruses do not have a cell wall; this is a characteristic of bacteria and plants, targeted by some antibiotics.
- D. Viruses are not single-celled organisms; they are acellular structures, much smaller and simpler than cells.
Viral Replication
The process by which viruses multiply, which critically depends on hijacking the cellular machinery of a living host cell.
- Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites.
- Cannot reproduce independently.
- Antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections.
Memory trick: Viruses are Viciously reliant on hosts.