VIRUSES
EVERYTHING
WORTH
KNOWING
38 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM
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Virus Replication 101
- A virion, a
single particle of
a virus, attaches
to host cell
membrane.
- Virion
releases
genome into
the host cell.
- Host
cell reads
the viral genome
and makes copies
of the virion’s
components.
- The
components
assemble into
new virions.
- The host cell,
following the
viral genome
instructions, makes
new capsids
and envelopes
for the virions.
- New virions exit cell.
Viral surface proteins
RNA
Capsid
Envelope