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The escapist hypothesis explains the origin of viruses by proposing that they began as what?
AFree-living cells that lost most genes
BProtein clumps that later gained genes
CRibosomes shed by ancient bacteria
DNucleic acids that escaped a host cell
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. Nucleic acids that escaped a host cell
1. The escapist hypothesis is also called the progressive hypothesis.
2. It proposes that RNA and DNA molecules escaped from a host cell and became viruses.
3. This is the hypothesis that accounts for viruses carrying either an RNA or a DNA genome.
4. Descent from free-living cells belongs to the regressive hypothesis instead, which is the trap option here.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 21 "Viruses", section 21.1 Viral Evolution, Morphology, and Classification_
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