NEET BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The virus uses its long-tail fibers to recognize its host and to send a signal back to the baseplate. Once the signal is received, the short-tail fibers help anchor the baseplate into the cell surface receptors.

Detailed explanation-2: -Tail fibers are responsible for the specific, albeit reversible primary attachment to host cell. Due to high selective pressure, tail fiber genes evolve more rapidly than other phage genes and exchanges occur via horizontal transfer among phages crossing host phylogenetic boundaries .

Detailed explanation-3: -These proteins mediate two essential functions: attachment of the virion to the cell surface; and fusion of the viral envelope with a cell membrane, resulting in accession of the viral nucleocapsid containing the genome to the cellular cytoplasm. The membrane is acquired during viral assembly within an infected cell.

Detailed explanation-4: -Viruses initially stick to cell membranes through interactions unrelated to fusion proteins. The virus surfs along the fluid surface of the cell and eventually the viral fusion proteins bind to receptor molecules on the cell membrane (4).

Detailed explanation-5: -Master locks: virus interactions with SA receptors A wide range of viruses have been shown to utilize SA receptors to mediate the initial attachment to the host cell surface.