Following the eclipse phase, which is the first viral molecule made?
a) Nucleic acid
b) Protein
c) Lipid
d) Carbohydrate
e) Interferon
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is a) Nucleic acid.
After a virus infects a host cell, it enters the eclipse phase. This phase is characterized by the initial uncoating and disassembly of the viral particle, where the virus sheds its protective coat and releases its genome into the host cell. During the eclipse phase, viral components are not detectable in the cell as they are being broken down and replicated, and no infectious virus is present.
The first viral molecule made after the virus enters the host cell is nucleic acid, which is essential for viral replication. Once inside the host cell, the viral genome, either RNA or DNA, is replicated by the host’s machinery. This replication is the first step in the viral life cycle and produces the necessary genetic material to form new viral particles.
In RNA viruses, the viral RNA genome is typically transcribed by viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase to produce mRNA, which will be translated into proteins necessary for viral replication. In DNA viruses, the host’s DNA polymerase replicates the viral DNA.
Nucleic acid replication is followed by the synthesis of viral proteins using the host’s ribosomes. These proteins are necessary for constructing new viral particles, but nucleic acid replication occurs first as it is required to encode for these proteins. After the viral genome is replicated, it is packaged with the synthesized proteins to form new viral particles, which can then leave the host cell to infect other cells.
In conclusion, the first viral molecule made after the eclipse phase is nucleic acid, as it is required for the production of viral proteins and the assembly of new virions.