Which of the Following Characteristics Correctly Describes Retroviruses

Question

Which of the following characteristics correctly describes retroviruses?
A) They are not destroyed or deactivated by heating.
B) They can only reproduce by infecting bacteria.
C) They have a single-stranded DNA that is integrated into the host cell genome.
D) They have a single-stranded RNA that acts as a template for DNA synthesis.

Accepted Answer

Retroviruses have a single-stranded RNA genome that, upon infection of a host cell, is reverse-transcribed into DNA, which then integrates into the host cell's genome. This process is facilitated by the enzyme reverse transcriptase, which retroviruses carry, allowing them to use RNA as a template for DNA synthesis.