Introduction: Unlike living organisms, viruses cannot reproduce on their own. Instead, viruses infect host cells, taking over the cell’s machinery to produce more viruses. This process is called the lytic cycle.
Question: What are the steps of the lytic cycle?
Observe: Use the navigation arrows on the DESCRIPTION tab to read about the stages of the lytic cycle. Using your own words, summarize each step of the cycle.
Step
Summary
1
A lytic virus connects itself to a bacterial cell. The virus is made up of nucleic acid, protein capsid and a tail section.
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2
The virus is injected into the cell, letting its nucleic acid also flow through the cell. The nucleic acid uses the ribosome to create proteins for the virus. The virus deteriorates the cell’s DNA.
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3
The virus capsid and tail are removed from the cell and disappear. While this is happening, the nucleic acid takes over the cell and the virus creates its own proteins.
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4
The virus successfully creates virus proteins and continues to create new viruses.
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5
Special types of protein created from the virus cause the cell's host to burst, destroying the cell in the process. The new viruses continue to infect other various cells.
