Which of the following has both ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)?

Study for the Apollon Bacteriology Test. Improve your knowledge with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel on your exam!

The presence of both ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in microorganisms is a unique characteristic that surfaces in specific groups. Rickettsia and Chlamydia are both classified as bacteria and possess a typical prokaryotic structure; however, neither contains both RNA and DNA in the same manner that viruses do.

Viruses, on the other hand, are unique in that they can contain either RNA or DNA as their genetic material, but not both simultaneously. The distinction lies in the fact that some viruses can exist as RNA viruses or DNA viruses, but any given virus will not contain both types of nucleic acids within the same particle or organism.

Rickettsia and Chlamydia, while primarily DNA-containing organisms, have complicated life cycles or specific states that could contain RNA during certain processes. Nonetheless, when considering organisms that contain both RNA and DNA as part of their regular biological functions, it's not typically attributed to them as it is with certain viruses.

Thus, this question, while indicating a combined answer involving both Rickettsia and Chlamydia, ultimately misrepresents the specificity regarding the presence of both RNA and DNA at the same time. Instead, recognizing that certain viruses contain

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