Infection

• Route of infection is dependent on the type of virus. Some viruses are spread through blood or sexual contact. Others are spread through respiratory droplets that enter the mouth or nose.
  
  

Cell Entry

• Once the virus enters the body, it attaches to proteins on the cell for endocytosis. Endocytosis is a process where the membrane surrounds the virus and the microbe enters the cytoplasm inside the cell.
  
  

Genome Replication

• Once the virus enters the cell, it inserts its genome into the nucleus. The cell's nuclear replication enzymes create more viral DNA and RNA. This results in the creation of more viral proteins.
  
  

Maturation

• Once the viral proteins are created, they are packaged and the viral DNA is placed in the capsid. The capsid is the main viral protein that contains genomic information for virus replication.
  
  

Exit

• The hundreds or thousands of new viral proteins are ready to exit the cell. Some viruses like HIV cause blebbing on the cell's membrane. The blebbing can be seen under the microscope, and it's the process where the virus uses the host's cell membrane as its outer layer.