Lame AAMC Question

[MedPR]

The passage describes that virions would not grow on noncellular media. Associated with the passage is a figure (image) showing a cross section of a virus which includes intramembrane proteins.

The lame question is.

Which of the following known characteristics of virion biology is supported by the passage.

A. viruses can synthesize proteins
B. viruses are obligate parasites

The answer is B.

The figure direclty shows synthesized proteins, but since it technically isn't in the PASSAGE, it isn't the right answer. I would normally be accepting of that reasoning, albeit stupid, but the passage says the virus cannot grow on noncellular media. It doesn't say the virus is destroyed or eventually degrades without a living cell to proliferate in. SO TECHNICALLY (since AAMC is being technical about passage vs figure) the passage does not demonstrate that viri are obligate parasites. It just demonstrates that they won't grow unless a parasitic relationship is established. Lame.

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[MrNeuro]

They experiment is that they don't grow on non cellular media. They don't do any experiments relating to de novo protein synthesis. So obligate parasites is a better answer

 

[MrNeuro]

also im not sure if viruses really do degrade if i remember correctly viruses aren't considered by most scientists as even a form of life...

they just spontaneously compose inside a cell there really isn't any signaling that the virus does itself to form the virion. They require host cell metabolism to replicate which is a common characteristic of parasites.

so technically if you just leave the virus in a media that it doesn't compromise its structural composition it should pretty much just stay as is...thats why you need high level clearance to work w/ viruses in a laboratory.

i think the key for this question was just stick to what the experiment gives you as the experiment will tell you the answer to the hypothesis in question.

 

[chiddler]

I think you can just knock out answer A because it is unconditionally impossible. Viruses never create their own proteins because they never ever ever have ribosomes.

 

[Misfit138]

I think the passage does clearly demonstrate that they are obligate parasites. If they WEREN'T obligate parasites, then they would have demonstrated growth on noncellular media. If I were answering this question, I would be looking for growth vs no growth, rather than degradation.