Question

Bovine spongiform encephalopathyiscausedby

• A. Fungi
• B. Viroids
• C. Prions
• D. Virus

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The correct answer is:

Option 3: Prions

Explanation:

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease, is caused by prions. Prions are misfolded proteins that can induce other proteins in the brain to also misfold, leading to brain damage. This results in the characteristic "spongy" appearance of the brain tissue in affected animals.

Prions do not contain nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), which makes them distinct from viruses, bacteria, fungi, or viroids.

The other options are incorrect because:

Fungi (Option 1) cause fungal infections, not BSE.

Viroids (Option 2) are small RNA molecules that infect plants, not cows.

Viruses (Option 4) cause diseases like influenza or HIV, but not BSE.

Thus, prions are the causative agents of BSE.