EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Once a virus gets into a host’s body, it travels along the surfaces of cells until its proteins begin to bind with receptors on the cells. The virus and the cells then fuse, allowing the DNA or RNA inside the virus to enter the cells, where it begins to reproduce.

Detailed explanation-2: -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-3: -This process of host cell takeover is known as “molecular hijacking.” When a virus replicates it has to build entire viral particles and it has to not only make the proteins that comprise the viral capsid (and enclose it with an envelope), but it must also replicate its genetic material.

Detailed explanation-4: -Prior to entry, a virus must attach to a host cell. Attachment is achieved when specific proteins on the viral capsid or viral envelope bind to specific proteins called receptor proteins on the cell membrane of the target cell.