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Viruses (DP IB Biology: HL): Exam Questions

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Viruses

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1
1 mark

Which of the following is not a feature that can be found in viruses?

  • Enzymes

  • DNA or RNA genetic material

  • Capsid made of protein

  • Cytoplasm

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2
1 mark

Which of the following diagrams show bacteriophage lambda?

  • virus-structure-1
  • virus-structure-2
  • virus-structure-3
  • virus-structure-4

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3
1 mark

The lytic pathway allows viruses to replicate.

Which of the following statements best describes the lytic pathway? 

  • Injection of genetic material → protein synthesis → replication of host → release

  • Entry → assembly → release

  • Attachment → entry → replication → assembly → release

  • Attachment → entry → lysogeny → replication → release

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1
1 mark

What feature of the escape theory differentiates it from the other theories about the origin of viruses?

  • It suggests that viruses arose from genetic material capable of moving between cells.

  • It suggests that viruses predate cellular life and represent an early step in the evolution of life.

  • It proposes that viruses are remnants of cellular organisms that became parasites.

  • It states that viruses evolved simultaneously alongside their hosts through coevolution.

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2
1 mark

Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes antigenic drift from antigenic shift in viral evolution?

  • Antigenic drift involves rapid, unpredictable genetic changes, while antigenic shift involves slow, gradual accumulation of mutations.

  • Antigenic drift occurs when two viruses combine their genetic material in a single host cell, while antigenic shift results from small mutations over time.

  • Antigenic drift involves the gradual accumulation of small genetic changes, while antigenic shift occurs when two or more viruses combine their genetic material, leading to a major change.

  • Antigenic drift leads to new virus types unrecognisable to the immune system, while antigenic shift creates only minor changes in viral surface proteins.

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3
1 mark

In the lysogenic pathway, which of the following is the most likely cause of a period of lysogeny?

  • The viral DNA produces proteins that suppress the immune response, resulting in persistent virion production.

  • A repressor protein, coded by the viral DNA, prevents transcription and translation of viral proteins.

  • The host cell lacks the necessary enzymes for viral replication, forcing the virus to remain dormant until external factors activate its DNA.

  • Viral nucleic acid disrupts host cell reproduction, preventing cell division until lytic triggers occur.

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