Lippincott Microbiology Practice Exam

Viral replication is fundamentally different from bacterial replication in that viruses must enter a host cell to replicate. Unlike bacteria, which are living organisms capable of independent life and can reproduce on their own through processes like binary fission, viruses are considered acellular and do not possess the cellular machinery necessary for replication.

When a virus infects a host cell, it utilizes the host’s cellular machinery, including enzymes and ribosomes, to produce viral components and assemble new viral particles. This dependency highlights the nature of viruses as obligate intracellular parasites. They cannot replicate outside of a living host cell, making their replication process unique compared to that of bacteria, which can thrive in a variety of environments and reproduce autonomously.

The other options present information that does not accurately depict the characteristics of viral and bacterial replication. For instance, while bacteria require energy for various cellular functions, including replication, they are capable of reproducing independently of a host. Additionally, bacterial replication does primarily occur through binary fission, but it’s not limited to just that method, as some bacteria can also undergo other forms of reproduction under specific conditions.