Before revision: Nucleic acid-containing infectious agents Viruses Viruses were initially described as poisons or toxins , then as "infectious proteins"; but they possess genetic material, a defined structure, and the ability to spontaneously assemble from their constituent parts.
After revision: Nucleic acid-containing infectious agents Viruses Researchers initially described viruses as "poisons" or "toxins" , then as "infectious proteins"; but they possess genetic material, a defined structure, and the ability to spontaneously assemble from their constituent parts.