Viral replication refers to the means by which virus particles make new copies of themselves.

Viruses cannot replicate by themselves. They require the participation of the replication equipment of the host cell that they infect in order to replicate. The molecular means by which this replication takes place varies, depending upon the type of virus.

Viral replication can be divided up into three phases: initiation, replication, and release.

The initiation phase occurs when the virus particle attaches to the surface of the host cell, penetrates into the cell and undergoes a process known as uncoating, where the viral genetic material is released from the virus into the host cell's cytoplasm. The attachment typically involves the recognition of some host surface molecules by a corresponding molecule on the surface of the virus. These two molecules can associate tightly with one another, binding the virus particle to the...