Salient features of Viruses:
(a) They are smaller than bacteria.
(b) They can be filterable.
© May cause infection and diseases like small pox, flu etc.
(d) Able to reproduce in host cells.
(e) Use enzymes and metabolic machinery of host cell.
(f) DNA/RNA is their genetic material.
(g) They are obligate parasites, self replicating, non- cellular organisms.
(h) Plant viruses mostly have single stranded (ss) RNA.
(i) All animal viruses mostly have single or double stranded RNA/DNA.
(j) They have protein coat called capsid that protects nucleic acid.
(k) They cause diseases in plants like mosaic, leaf curling, leaf role, yellowing, vein clearing, dwarfing as well as stunted growth etc.