Final answer:
The levels of host cell factors and viral elements determine whether latency or viral replication occurs. During replication, stages include attachment, replication, and release, which can contribute to either lytic or lysogenic cycles. Factors such as viral proteins, cellular molecules, and immune responses play a role in influencing these outcomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The level of host cell factors and viral elements dictate if latency (stalling viral growth) or viral replication will proceed. Viral replication involves several stages, such as attachment, penetration, uncoating, replication, assembly, and release. The replication cycle can be either lytic, leading to host cell destruction, or lysogenic, where the viral genome integrates with the host's and may remain dormant for a period, which is referred to as latency. The type of replication cycle that a virus undergoes can be influenced by the status of the host cell and the presence of certain signals or molecules, such as cellular factors, viral proteins, and immune response elements.
For example, a molecule that closely resembles GTP might be incorporated into the growing DNA strand during replication, halting further elongation of the DNA molecule and thereby stopping viral replication. Such events can be crucial for the fate of infected cells and for determining whether infection will be acute or may proceed into a latent stage. Both latency and active replication have implications for how a virus spreads within an organism and how it can be treated. Latency allows a virus to persist in the host for an extended period, potentially reactivating under certain conditions, while active replication leads to the production of new virus particles that can infect additional cells.