#22 - Viruses can have beneficial effects. For example,

[Arindom]

Hi,

I was between A and E but picked A since I was trying to understand it and at the same time rushing to finish the section and didn't want to waste time.

Since, this is a Could be True Except means the correct ans - Must be false/Cannot be true. So, what E is saying is -

Virus that is deadly to organisms of greater complexity that itself ---> cannot be beneficial to humans

Is this diagramming correct? If that is the case then this contradicts the second statement which says that some viruses kill more complex microorganisms that are deadly to humans. Is this correct?

Thanks.

- Arindom

[Nikki Siclunov]

Hi Arindom,

You got it! This is how I'd diagram answer choice (E):

Virus deadly to organisms of greater complexity than itself NOT beneficial to humans

This clearly contradicts the second sentence of the stimulus, according to which some viruses kill more complex microorganisms that are deadly to humans (making such viruses beneficial to humans).

Whether mutations can make some deadly viruses beneficial to humans is anyone's guess. We know that random mutations can make beneficial viruses deadly (last sentence), but have no reason to deny the reverse chain of causation. Thus, answer choice (A) could be true, and is therefore incorrect.

Thanks!

[Arindom]

Thanks, Nikki!