Which term refers to a virus that integrates into the host genome and remains latent?

Which term refers to a virus that integrates into the host genome and remains latent?

• A. Bacteriophage
• B. Spore
• C. Provirus
• D. Mycelium

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how a virus can hide inside a host by inserting its genetic material into the host's DNA and staying dormant until reactivation. When a viral genome becomes part of the host genome in this way, it’s called a provirus. In retroviruses, the RNA genome is reverse-transcribed to DNA and integrated into the host’s DNA, where it can lie quiet for long periods and later be transcribed to make new viruses. This latent intégré state is what allows the virus to persist within the host cell across cell divisions and occasional triggers can reactivate it to produce virions. This term differs from the bacterial situation, where a virus that integrates into a bacterial chromosome during lysogeny is known as a prophage. The other terms—spore and mycelium—refer to structures or growth forms in bacteria and fungi, not latent viral genomes. A familiar example of a provirus is HIV, which can reside in the host genome in a latent form and reactivate under certain conditions.

The idea being tested is how a virus can hide inside a host by inserting its genetic material into the host's DNA and staying dormant until reactivation. When a viral genome becomes part of the host genome in this way, it’s called a provirus. In retroviruses, the RNA genome is reverse-transcribed to DNA and integrated into the host’s DNA, where it can lie quiet for long periods and later be transcribed to make new viruses. This latent intégré state is what allows the virus to persist within the host cell across cell divisions and occasional triggers can reactivate it to produce virions.

This term differs from the bacterial situation, where a virus that integrates into a bacterial chromosome during lysogeny is known as a prophage. The other terms—spore and mycelium—refer to structures or growth forms in bacteria and fungi, not latent viral genomes. A familiar example of a provirus is HIV, which can reside in the host genome in a latent form and reactivate under certain conditions.