What kind of pathogen would retain its ability to cause infections after being treated with powerful proteolytic chemicals that would destroy all proteinaceous material?

Question

A.  A virus
B.  A prion
C.  A fungus
D.  A bacterium
E.  A viroid

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
· What do you already know about viroids?
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?

  Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

E.  A viroid

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question addresses viroids.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This question is asking you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.

Gather Content
· What do you already know about viroids?
        o Viroids are tiny, naked molecules of circular RNA, only a few hundred nucleotides long, that are important infectious disease agents in plants.
        o In other words, viroids are infectious RNAs with no protein.
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o Since viroids arejust RNA without protein, they are the only infectious agents that would persist after destruction of proteins.

  Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o The question required you to take what you already know and apply it to this unfamiliar situation.
        o Did you realize that viroids are made of just RNA?