Chapter 28.5, Problem 2CYP

Summary Introduction

To analyze:

The six stages of a typical animal virus reproductive cycle.

Introduction:

Viruses are the infectious agents with both the living and the nonliving characteristics. The living characteristics of the viruses include reproduction and mutation. The non-living characteristics of the viruses include the absence of cytoplasm or cellular organelles, no metabolism of their own, and replication using the host’s machinery.

The productive life cycle of a typical animal virus includes the following:

1. Viral attachment or adsorption to the host cell attachment

2. Penetration or viral entry into the host cell

3. Viral movement to the site of replication

4. Viral replication within the host cell

5. Viral assembly or maturation within the host cell

6. Viral release from the host cell