Correct Option
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they require a living host cell to replicate. They are known to infect a diverse range of organisms across all domains of life, including bacteria, fungi, and plants.
- Bacteria: Viruses that specifically infect bacteria are called bacteriophages. These viruses replicate within bacterial cells, often leading to their lysis.
- Fungi: Fungi can be infected by mycoviruses. These viruses are found in various fungal species and can influence fungal characteristics such as growth, morphology, and pathogenicity.
- Plants: Plant viruses are common pathogens that infect a wide array of plant species, causing various diseases that can impact agricultural productivity and plant health.
Therefore, all three statements are correct.
Incorrect Options
Options (a), (b), and (c) are incorrect because they exclude one or more categories of organisms that viruses are known to infect.
- Option (a) "1 and 2 only" is incorrect as it excludes plants, which are susceptible to plant viruses.
- Option (b) "3 only" is incorrect as it excludes both bacteria (infected by bacteriophages) and fungi (infected by mycoviruses).
- Option (c) "1 and 3 only" is incorrect as it excludes fungi, which are hosts to mycoviruses.