Viruses can reproduce by:
invading and taking over a host cell’s machinery.
binary fission, but only after invading a host cell.
mitosis, as all nucleated cells do.
binary fission, as all bacteria do.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: invading and taking over a host cell’s machinery.
Viruses are unique in that they cannot reproduce on their own like other living organisms. Instead, they rely on the machinery of a host cell to replicate. A virus consists of genetic material (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. When a virus infects a host organism, it attaches to specific receptors on the host cell’s surface. Once attached, the virus injects its genetic material into the host cell.
The viral genetic material then takes over the host cell’s machinery. The host cell is forced to replicate the viral genetic material and produce viral proteins. These proteins and replicated genetic material are then assembled into new virus particles. After the virus particles are assembled, they are released from the host cell, often destroying the host in the process, to infect new cells.
This process differs significantly from binary fission or mitosis, as viruses do not have the machinery to perform these processes. Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction in prokaryotic organisms like bacteria, where a single cell divides into two identical cells. Mitosis is a process of cell division in eukaryotic cells where one cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells. Since viruses do not possess the necessary components to replicate independently, they must hijack the cellular machinery of a host organism to reproduce.
Thus, viruses are considered obligate intracellular parasites, as they are completely dependent on a host cell to reproduce. The fact that viruses rely on a host for replication distinguishes them from other life forms that can reproduce autonomously.