Assertion: Prions are infectious agents made of abnormally folded proteins, and are associated with diseases like BSE and CJD.

Reason: Viroids consist of RNA with a protein coat.

Assertion is true but the reason is false.

The correct answer is Option (3) -Assertion is true but the reason is false.

Assertion: Prions are infectious agents made of abnormally folded proteins, and are associated with diseases like BSE and CJD. This statement is accurate. Prions are unique infectious agents composed primarily of misfolded proteins. These proteins, typically found in the brain, have an abnormal shape that can induce other proteins to misfold similarly. Diseases such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE or mad cow disease) in cattle and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) in humans are linked to prions. These diseases cause progressive neurodegeneration and are fatal.

Reason: Viroids consist of RNA with a protein coat.This statement is incorrect. Viroids are small, circular, single-stranded RNA molecules that lack a protein coat. They are distinct from viruses, which typically have a protein coat encapsulating their genetic material. Viroids are known for causing diseases in plants and are simpler in structure compared to viruses, as they lack a protein coat and do not encode proteins themselves. Their infectious nature is primarily due to their RNA molecules.