Question

Which of the following statements about virophages are correct? (pg. 157 in book)

a.) Viropahges are specific for the AIDS virus, and are being developed as a vaccine.
b.) Virophages are being developed to treat cancers caused by oncogenic viruses.
c.) A virophage uses genes from another virus for its own replication.
d.) A virophage is a virus that parasitizes another virus.

Answer 1

Virophages are viruses that parasitize other viruses and use their replication machinery for their own reproduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct statement about virophages is option d.) A virophage is a virus that parasitizes another virus.

Virophages are viruses that infect other viruses and use their replication machinery for their own reproduction. They were first discovered in 2008 and are considered to be a form of viral satellite. Rather than being specific to the AIDS virus, virophages have been found to infect a variety of giant viruses.