EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -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. A virus must now enter the cell, which is covered by a phospholipid bilayer, a cell’s natural barrier to the outside world.

Detailed explanation-2: -First, a virus finds an entry point on the surface of a host’s body, typically in the respiratory tract, including the mouth and nose. This is by far the most common route, particularly for pathogens such as rhinoviruses, coronaviruses, and influenza viruses.

Detailed explanation-3: -Virus–receptor interactions play a key regulatory role in viral host range, tissue tropism, and viral pathogenesis. Viruses utilize elegant strategies to attach to one or multiple receptors, overcome the plasma membrane barrier, enter, and access the necessary host cell machinery.

Detailed explanation-4: -Virus entry pathways are largely defined by the interactions between virus particles and their receptors at the cell surface. These interactions determine the mechanisms of virus attachment, uptake, intracellular trafficking, and, ultimately, penetration to the cytosol.