Viruses are noncellular infectious particles that take over a living cell to access their replication abilities.

These units are made up nucleic acids enclosed by proteins; sometimes, other macromolecular components such as a membrane-like envelope make up its structure. The genome of a virus may contain RNA or DNA. The nucleotide polymers may be single-stranded or double-stranded, and it may be linear or a closed loop. The viruss genetic material is surrounded by a protein coat known as a capsid, which is formed from a number of individual protein molecules called capsomeres. Capsomeres are arranged in a precise and highly repetitive pattern around the nucleic acid. Additionally, accessory structures such as viral envelopes may be present; the viral envelope is made from phospholipids and other membrane components from the host cell in animals. Another accessory is projections from the envelope, known as spikes. The spikes sometimes contain essential elements for attachment of the virus to the host cell. For example, the influenza virus is studded with glycoproteins, helping it enter the host cell. Moreover, the most complex viral structure is the phages, which infect bacteria. These consist of a head, which within carries the genome, a tail sheath beneath it, and tail fibers. One way a virus can take over a host cell by injecting its DNA is through the Lytic cycle. There are five major steps in this cycle. First, the virus finds a host cell and links to a specific region on the cell surface. After, the virus injects its DNA into the host cell. The DNA of the host cell is inactivated, and the viral DNA takes over making viral proteins and viral nucleic acid. Viral coats of protein (capsids) are then assembled with the nucleic acids filling the cell with new virus particles. Finally, enzymes dissolve the host cell membrane from within. The cell then bursts open (cell lysis) and the newly formed virus particles are released, free to infect other bacterial cells. Another way a virus can take over a host is through the Lysogenic cycle, which doesnt lyse the host cell. Here, the virus's nucleic acids are integrated into the host cells chromosome; a prophase is formed and replicated each time the host cell reproduces. The virus can remain dormant for a long period of time, and the host cell is not killed until the lytic cycle is activated. A way a virus can exchange genetic material between cells is known as viral transduction, which involves the exchange of genetic material between bacterial cells occurs due to an error in the bacteriophage production. During production of new progeny bacteriophage, the small pieces of degraded bacterial genome may be incorporated into the progeny virus. When these progeny virus are released, they are able to inject the pieces of bacterial genome into new bacteria, where it may recombine with the cells existing genome that will in turn be replicated and expressed with the hosts genome to form a recombinant bacterium.