Which statement best describes how a virus replicates?

• A. A virus replicates by budding off from the surface of dead host cells.
• B. A virus synthesizes its own proteins and enzymes independently of the host cell.
• C. A virus injects its genetic material into a host cell, hijacking the cell's machinery to produce new viral particles.
• D. A virus divides by binary fission within the host cell.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that viruses are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they cannot replicate independently and must use a host cell's machinery to reproduce.
2. Recognize that viruses do not synthesize their own proteins or enzymes independently; instead, they rely on the host cell's ribosomes and enzymes for replication.
3. Recall that viruses do not divide by binary fission, which is a method used by bacteria and some other single-celled organisms, not viruses.
4. Know that viruses do not replicate by budding off from dead host cells; budding is a process some viruses use but typically from living host cells, not dead ones.
5. Conclude that the correct description of viral replication is that a virus injects its genetic material into a host cell and hijacks the host's cellular machinery to produce new viral particles.