Viroids Vs Prions: Understanding the Key Differences and Their Impact

Viruses are composed of DNA or RNA and a protein coat, viroids consist of only RNA, and prions are made of protein without nucleic acids. Each causes different types of diseases in plants, animals, and humans.

The main difference between viruses and viroids is that viruses have a protein coat surrounding their DNA or RNA, while viroids are made only of RNA and do not have a protein coat.

Viroids are small, infectious RNA molecules that cause diseases in plants, while virions are complete viral particles made up of nucleic acid (DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat, capable of infecting living cells.

Mycoplasma are bacteria-like organisms that lack a cell wall and can cause infections in humans and animals, while prions are misfolded proteins that cause neurodegenerative diseases, like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, without involving any nucleic acid.

Viroids primarily affect plants by disrupting their growth and development, leading to diseases like citrus exocortis and potato spindle tuber, which can cause severe mechanical damage.

Yes, prions can infect humans and cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and dementia, which result from the abnormal folding of proteins in the brain.

In viroids, RNA plays a key role in causing infection. Unlike viruses, viroids do not encode proteins but instead interfere with the host plant’s gene expression, leading to disease symptoms.

Viroids are typically transmitted through infected plant material, tools, or by insects that carry the RNA particles from one plant to another, leading to the spread of diseases in crops.

Prion diseases are difficult to treat because prions are resistant to conventional sterilisation methods like heat, chemicals, and radiation. They do not contain any nucleic acids, which makes them hard to target with traditional drugs.