Practice Quiz

CLEP Natural Sciences - Biological Science

Category - CLEP Natural Sciences - Biology

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A researcher is studying a particular disease-causing agent. The agent has a protein coat, but it lacks a nucleus, contains no other organelles, and can reproduce only when it is inside an animal cell. The researcher should classify the agent as which of the following?
  1. a bacterium
  2. a fungus
  3. a protist
  4. a virus
Explanation

Answer: D - A virus. 

The description provided suggests that the disease-causing agent lacks a nucleus, organelles, and can only reproduce when inside an animal cell, which are all characteristics of a virus. Therefore, the researcher should classify the agent as a virus.

Bacteria are single-celled organisms that have a nucleus, while fungi and protists are eukaryotic organisms that have nuclei and other membrane-bound organelles.

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