What is a prion?

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Prepare for the PLTW Biomedical Science Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question comes with hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

Multiple Choice

What is a prion?

Explanation:
Prions are infectious proteins. They are misfolded versions of a normal cellular protein found in the brain. This abnormal form can template the normal protein to adopt the same misfolded shape, leading to aggregates that damage neural tissue and cause neurodegenerative diseases. Prions don’t carry genetic material like DNA or RNA, so they aren’t viruses, and they’re not bacteria. The idea that an infectious agent can propagate purely through a protein’s shape, rather than by nucleic acids, is what makes this description—the infectious protein that is an abnormal form of a normal cellular protein—the correct way to understand prions.

Prions are infectious proteins. They are misfolded versions of a normal cellular protein found in the brain. This abnormal form can template the normal protein to adopt the same misfolded shape, leading to aggregates that damage neural tissue and cause neurodegenerative diseases. Prions don’t carry genetic material like DNA or RNA, so they aren’t viruses, and they’re not bacteria. The idea that an infectious agent can propagate purely through a protein’s shape, rather than by nucleic acids, is what makes this description—the infectious protein that is an abnormal form of a normal cellular protein—the correct way to understand prions.

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