Which statement about prions is true?

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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

Which statement about prions is true?

Explanation:
Prions are infectious proteins that cause disease by changing the shape of normal brain proteins. They are abnormal forms of a normal cellular protein called PrP. The spread works like a template: a misfolded prion converts nearby normal PrP into the same misfolded shape, creating a chain reaction. Because this propagation relies on protein conformation rather than genetic material, prions do not contain DNA or RNA. That’s why they aren’t viruses or bacteria—their infectiousness comes from misfolded proteins converting other proteins, not from nucleic acids.

Prions are infectious proteins that cause disease by changing the shape of normal brain proteins. They are abnormal forms of a normal cellular protein called PrP. The spread works like a template: a misfolded prion converts nearby normal PrP into the same misfolded shape, creating a chain reaction. Because this propagation relies on protein conformation rather than genetic material, prions do not contain DNA or RNA. That’s why they aren’t viruses or bacteria—their infectiousness comes from misfolded proteins converting other proteins, not from nucleic acids.

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