Mycology Plant Pathology

Number of nucleotides in viroid

Viroids are the smallest known infectious agents, consisting solely of a short strand of circular, single-stranded RNA without a protective protein coat. Unlike viruses, viroids do not code for proteins but can replicate within host plants and cause disease.

The size of viroid RNA typically ranges from about 300 to 400 nucleotides. This small genome size allows viroids to interfere with host cellular processes, leading to various plant diseases.