A small group of viruses carries its genetic information around in the form of double stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules. These are members of the reovirus class of viruses. Their genomes have ten distinct dsRNAs and virions of this class lack lipid membranes. As discussed above, the virions carry an RNA polymerase that transcribes the dsRNA into (+) ssRNA. These transcripts can serve as mRNA that is then translated into the necessary viral proteins or they can act as a template for (-) strand synthesis and be converted back into a dsRNA genome for packaging