Difference Between Virus and Viroids

In this article we will discuss about Differences Between Viroids and Prions. In our previous article we have discussed about;

• Virus Structure and Application, Origin, Definition, Characters, and Example.
• Viroids Definition, Infection, Structure, Examples, Diagnostic, Origin, Disease.

Virus

Virus is a microscopic, infectious particle that can reproduce or replicate within the living cell of an organism or host. Viruses can not reproduce without a host cell. They infect almost all living forms such as animals, plants, and bacteria.

In 1898, a Dutch scientist, Martinus Beijerinck discovered the world’s first virus which was the tobacco mosaic virus. He conducted an experiment to show that there is another infectious particle that is smaller than bacteria and responsible for the infection in tobacco plants.

Viroid

In 1971, a plant pathologist named Theodor Otto Diener first discovered the Viroids. He found an acellular particle when he was working in an Agriculture Research Service and named this particle as viroid, meaning “virus-like.” At present-33 species of viroid have been identified.

Viroids are known as the smallest infectious pathogens which are made up solely of a short strand of circular, single-stranded self-replicating RNA that has no protein coating.

Difference Between Virus and Viroids

Topic	Virus	Viroids
Definition	A virus refers to a small infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of other organisms	viroids refer to the infectious particles smaller than any of the known viruses, serving as an agent of certain plant diseases.
Significance	virus is a nucleoprotein particle	viroids are RNA particles.
Size	a virus is a larger particle as compared to Viroids	viroids are smaller than viruses
Type of Nucleic Acid	viruses contain either DNA or RNA	viroids contain a short strand of circular, single-stranded RNA as their nucleic acid.
Protein Coat	virus contains a protein coat surrounding its nucleic acid	viroids do not contain a protein coat.
Type of Host	viruses can infect different forms of hosts including animal, plant or bacterial cells	viroids infect only plant cells.
Production of Proteins during Replication	The virus produces proteins during their replication	viroids do not produce proteins during replication.
Examples	EBV, adenoviruses, hepatitis B, influenza A, etc.	potato spindle tuber viroid, Avsunviroidae, etc.