What are steps of the lytic cycle viral reproduction?

The lytic cycle is the process by which viruses replicate and reproduce within a host cell, leading to the destruction of the host cell. It consists of several distinct steps:

1. Attachment: The virus particle attaches to specific receptors on the surface of the host cell. The type of receptor depends on the virus and its host range.

2. Entry: Once attached, the virus enters the host cell. This can occur through various mechanisms, including fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane, endocytosis, or phagocytosis.

3. Uncoating: Inside the host cell, the viral capsid (protein coat) is removed, releasing the viral genome into the cytoplasm.

4. Replication: The viral genome is replicated using the host cell's machinery and resources. Some viruses use the host cell's DNA or RNA polymerase to transcribe and translate their genetic material, while others encode their own enzymes for genome replication.

5. Assembly: New viral particles are assembled inside the host cell. Multiple copies of the viral genome and structural proteins are synthesized and assembled into progeny virus particles.

6. Release: The newly assembled viruses are released from the host cell, often leading to its destruction. This can occur through cell lysis, where the host cell membrane ruptures and releases the viral progeny, or through budding, where the viral particles bud off from the host cell membrane.

7. Spread: The released viral particles can then infect new host cells and repeat the lytic cycle, leading to the spread of the viral infection.

It's important to note that the lytic cycle is not the only way viruses reproduce. Some viruses may undergo a lysogenic cycle, where the viral genome integrates into the host cell's DNA, becoming a prophage, and only later enters the lytic cycle.