AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Viruses cannot replicate on their own, but rather depend on their host cell’s protein synthesis pathways to reproduce. This typically occurs by the virus inserting its genetic material in host cells, co-opting the proteins to create viral replicates, until the cell bursts from the high volume of new viral particles.

Detailed explanation-2: -A virus needs a living cell in order to reproduce. The living cell in which the virus reproduces is called a host cell.

Detailed explanation-3: -Viruses depend on the host cells that they infect to reproduce. When found outside of host cells, viruses exist as a protein coat or capsid, sometimes enclosed within a membrane.

Detailed explanation-4: -A virus attaches to a specific receptor site on the host cell membrane through attachment proteins in the capsid or via glycoproteins embedded in the viral envelope. The specificity of this interaction determines the host-and the cells within the host-that can be infected by a particular virus.

Detailed explanation-5: -Since viruses are intracellular parasites, they rely on their host cells for the energy, macromolecular synthesis machinery and the work benches for genome replication and particle assembly.