What term describes a virus that contains RNA as its genetic information?

• A. Retrovirus
• B. Endospore
• C. Lysogenic cycle
• D. Lytic cycle

Answer: (A)

Viruses with RNA as their genetic material are retroviruses. They carry an RNA genome and use the enzyme reverse transcriptase to synthesize a DNA copy of that RNA once inside a host cell. That DNA is then integrated into the host’s genome, and the host’s cellular machinery can transcribe and translate the viral genes to produce new viruses. This RNA-to-DNA step is what sets retroviruses apart.

Endospore refers to a dormant structure produced by some bacteria, not a virus. The lysogenic and lytic cycles describe how viruses replicate and interact with their hosts, but they don’t specify the genome type—both RNA and DNA viruses can use those cycles. HIV is a well-known example of a retrovirus.