Sinh học - Chapter 18: Microbial models: the genetics of viruses and bacteria

The genome of viruses includes other options than the double-stranded DNA that we have studied. Viral genomes may consist of double-stranded DNA, single-stranded DNA, double-stranded RNA, or single-stranded RNA, depending on the specific type of virus. The viral genome is usually organized as a single linear or circular molecule of nucleic acid. The smallest viruses have only four genes, while the largest have several hundred.