Question

what protects the nucleic acid of a virus from the digestive enzymes?
○ the envelope
○ the tail
○ the capsid
○ the mitochondria

Explanation:

1. The viral envelope is a lipid outer layer derived from host cells, primarily used to help the virus fuse with host cell membranes, not protect nucleic acids from digestive enzymes.
2. Viral tails are only present in some bacteriophages, used for attaching and injecting nucleic acid into host bacteria, with no digestive enzyme protection function.
3. The capsid is a protein shell surrounding viral nucleic acid. It is a stable, rigid structure that physically shields the viral genome from degradation by external digestive enzymes.
4. Mitochondria are eukaryotic organelles for energy production, not part of a viral structure.

Answer:

C. The capsid