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GCSE Biology · key term
A viral pathway in which new virus particles are made and released, often when the host cell bursts.
Used by Edexcel
Specification 5.7B · Paper 1
Revise: Lifecycle of a VirusIn the lytic pathway, the virus uses the host cell’s machinery to copy its genetic material and make viral proteins. These components are assembled into many new virus particles. The host cell then bursts open — lysis — releasing the particles.
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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