what types of genetic material can viruses contain
Section 6.3 Viruses: Structure, Function, and Uses. A virus is a small parasite that cannot reproduce by itself. Once it infects a susceptible cell, however, a virus can direct the cell machinery to produce more viruses. Most viruses have either RNA or DNA as their genetic material.The nucleic acid may be single-or double-stranded.he T phages of E. coli are large lytic phages that contain a single molecule of double-stranded DNA. This molecule is about 2âÃâ10 5 base pairs long in T2, T4, and T6 viruses and about 4âÃâ10 4 base pairs long in T1, T3, T5, and T7 viruses.