Which is the infectious component of the virus?

Options

A. Lipid
B. Protein
C. Nucleic acid
D. b and c

Answer

To determine the infectious component of a virus, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Virus Structure**:
- A virus is composed of a protein coat (capsid) and genetic material (nucleic acid), which can be either DNA or RNA.

2. **Evaluating Options**:
- **Option 1: Lipid** - Lipids are not a structural component of viruses. While some viruses may have a lipid envelope, it is not considered the infectious component.
- **Option 2: Protein** - Proteins form the capsid that protects the nucleic acid, but they do not carry the infectious information.
- **Option 3: Nucleic acid** - This is the genetic material of the virus and is responsible for carrying the information necessary for the virus to replicate and infect host cells.
- **Option 4: Both B and C** - Since protein alone does not serve as the infectious component, this option is incorrect.

3. **Conclusion**:
- The infectious component of a virus is the nucleic acid, which can be RNA or DNA. Therefore, the correct answer is **Option 3: Nucleic acid**.