True or False: Viral replication occurs after it attaches and enters the host cell.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the basic sequence of viral infection in a host cell. The first step is attachment, where the virus binds to specific receptors on the host cell surface. Following attachment, entry occurs, typically via fusion or endocytosis, allowing the viral genome and necessary enzymes to access the intracellular environment.

Option 1: True. This aligns with the standard viral life cycle: after attachment and entry, the virus begins replication of its genome and production of viral components. Without entry, the viral genome cannot access host machinery, so replication cannot proceed.

Option 2: False. This would imply that replication can occur without entering the cell, which contradicts the fundamental requirement that replication relies on host cellular machinery or, in the case of some viruses, the use of viral replication complexes inside the cellular environment. In other words, replication after attachment but before entry would not be feasible because the viral genome cannot be exposed to the host replication apparatus without entering the cell.

Option 3: (If considered) Some steps precede replication, such as attachment and entry; skipping those would make replication impossible, so treating replication as independent of entry misrepresents the order of events in viral infection.

Option 4: (If considered) While certain steps like uncoating or early gene expression may occur soon after entry, they still require that the virus has successfully attached and entered; presuming replication occurs prior to proper entry would be biologically inconsistent.

In summary, the replication phase is initiated only after the virus has attached to and entered the host cell, enabling access to the cellular environment necessary for copying the viral genome and producing progeny.

True or False: Viral replication occurs after it attaches and enters the host cell.

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