Jute wrote:
I was under the impression that viruses were procaryotes and as such their genetic information is coded on RNA not DNA.
viruses are even more primitive than prokaryotes.
Nothing to do with RNA vs DNA
Eukaryotes = critters with actual cells (single or multiple):algae, protozoa, and multicellular plants and animals like us. The cells are organized with proper membrane bound organells (like body organs).The genetic material is contained within the membrane bound nucleus within the cell.
Prokaryotes= microbes without proper ogranelles = bacteria, and cynobacteria (formerly known as blue green algae).. Bacteria cells are much tinier than most eukaryote cells, and there is no nucleus. The DNA is all over the cell.
Viruses are even tiner, and even more rudimentary than prokaryotes. Basically they are cell nuclei in search of cytoplasm. Basically a virus is a piece of DNA or RNA wrapped in a protein case that wanders around without any other cell organelles (or any other life processes like metabolism- ie that arent even really alive) -the protein case doubles as an hypodermic needle to inject the virus's DNA into a victim's cell so the virus's DNA can comandeer the victim's cell to make more viruses.
Some viruses (retrovirus) use RNA, others use DNA.