Which statement about plant viruses is true?

Which statement about plant viruses is true?

• A. Plant viruses cannot infect animals
• B. Plant viruses can infect animals
• C. Plant viruses require animals to complete their life cycle
• D. Plant viruses are a type of fungus

Answer: (A)

Plant viruses are specialized to infect plants and rely on plant cellular machinery to replicate and move through plant tissues. Animal cells have different receptors, immune defenses, and cellular environments, so plant viruses generally cannot establish infection or complete their life cycle in animals. Transmission can occur via insect or other vectors moving the virus between plants, but the vectors themselves aren’t hosts for the virus. Viruses are not fungi; fungi are a separate type of organism, whereas viruses are acellular infectious agents. So the statement that plant viruses cannot infect animals is true.

Plant viruses are specialized to infect plants and rely on plant cellular machinery to replicate and move through plant tissues. Animal cells have different receptors, immune defenses, and cellular environments, so plant viruses generally cannot establish infection or complete their life cycle in animals. Transmission can occur via insect or other vectors moving the virus between plants, but the vectors themselves aren’t hosts for the virus. Viruses are not fungi; fungi are a separate type of organism, whereas viruses are acellular infectious agents. So the statement that plant viruses cannot infect animals is true.