NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Infectious protein particles are called “prions”. Prions are infectious protein particles that function as pathogens and cause neurological disorders in humans. Due to their lack of genetic material, they reproduce by generating the cellular prion protein to refold into a PrP scrapie structure.

Detailed explanation-2: -The term “prions” refers to abnormal, pathogenic agents that are transmissible and are able to induce abnormal folding of specific normal cellular proteins called prion proteins that are found most abundantly in the brain.

Detailed explanation-3: -Prions are infectious protein particle which acts as a pathogen and causes the neurodegenerative disorder in humans. They lack genetic material and multiply by stimulating normal cellular prion protein to refold into a form called PrP scrapie.

Detailed explanation-4: -Prions, so-called because they are proteinaceous, are infectious particles, smaller than viruses, that contain no nucleic acids (neither DNA nor RNA).

Detailed explanation-5: -viroid, an infectious particle smaller than any of the known viruses, an agent of certain plant diseases. The particle consists only of an extremely small circular RNA (ribonucleic acid) molecule, lacking the protein coat of a virus.