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GCSE Biology · key term
A living cell used by a virus to produce its genetic material and proteins.
Used by Edexcel
Specification 5.7B · Paper 1
Revise: Lifecycle of a VirusA virus carries genetic material, but it cannot reproduce on its own. It can remain outside a host for a time, yet it needs a living host cell to make new virus particles. After attaching to a suitable cell, it gets its genetic material into that cell.
For the lytic pathway, give the sequence: entry into a host cell, production of viral components, assembly of new viruses, then release by lysis.
For the lysogenic pathway, state that viral DNA becomes part of the host cell’s DNA and is copied when the host cell divides; explain that the lytic pathway can begin later.
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