When a virus infects an organism, what does the virus inject into the cell?

1 Answer
Oct 20, 2016

The virus attaches to the host cell surface , penetrates and injects its genetic material into the host cell.

Explanation:

Viral populations do not grow through cell division as they are acellular. They use the machinery and mechanism of the host cell to produce multiple copies of themselves and then assemble in the cell.

Viral infection involves the incorporation of viral genetic material ( DNA or RNA ) into the host cell, replication and the release of the new viruses.
The viral genetic material incorporates itself into the host cells genetic material and induces it to replicate the viral genome.
Later they are assembled and released from the host cell, either by causing the cells to break apart or by budding off through the cell membrane.