What is the difference between a virus and a prion?
I remember one time during a class discussion, the topic of prions came up, and someone asked how they’re different from viruses. I didn’t know much back then, but after reading more, I realized the difference is pretty huge. Viruses carry genetic material and invade cells to replicate, while prions are just proteins that misfold and spread by turning other proteins bad. No DNA or RNA involved. This breakdown really helps make the differences clear.
Answer ( 1 )
Composition and Structure
Genetic Material
Replication Mechanism
Infectivity
Resistance to Decontamination
Host Range
Immune Response
Diseases
In Humans:
In Animals:
Disease Progression
Transmission
Discovery and History
In summary, while both viruses and prions are infectious agents that can cause disease, they represent fundamentally different biological entities. Viruses are nucleic acid-based pathogens that replicate using genetic information, while prions are protein-only infectious agents that propagate through protein misfolding without any genetic material.
Sources:
Prusiner, S.B. (1998). Prions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Collinge, J. (2001). Prion diseases of humans and animals: their causes and molecular basis. Annual Review of Neuroscience.