Viral replication is the formation of biological viruses during the infection process in the target host cells. Since viruses are intracellular obligate parasites, they cannot replicate their genes without the help of a living cell. The purpose of viral replication is to ensure production and survival of its own kind. Viruses lacks needed components to reproduce thus it infects a cell, marshals much of the cellular’s machinery and replicates itself. By this replication method, the virus is able to continue infecting new hosts. Different types of viruses have their own unique ways of replication strategy. Viruses may infect any type of cell the bacterial, animal and plant cells.
The 6 main steps in the process of viral infection are:
1. Adsorption
The virus attaches itself to a cell surface which has the appropriate receptors such as carbohydrate, protein or lipid.
2. Penetration
The virus enters the cell through different types of ways depending on the nature of the virus and the genes involved in them. The virus injects its genome into the host cell.
3. Viral Genome Replication
The viral genome replicates using the host’s cellular machinery.
4. Assembly
New viral components and enzymes are produced and assembled.
5. Maturation
Viral components fully assemble and the viruses fully develop.
6. Release
The newly-produced and developed viruses are released from the host cell due to cell lysis. However, if the viruses are enveloped, the virus may bud from the cell. Budding viruses do not kill the cell and not all released viruses are infectious.
When the replication process is complete, the host cell is left to infect other cells in the organism.
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