Final answer:
During the viral infection process, the 'uncoating' stage involves the removal of the virus's capsid, which is the protein coat encasing its genetic material, allowing the virus to replicate within the host cell.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process during viral infection known as "uncoating" involves the removal of the capsid. Uncoating is a critical step in the virus replication cycle, which includes attachment, penetration, uncoating, replication, assembly, and release. During the uncoating step, the protein coat, or capsid, that encloses the viral genetic material is removed after the virus has entered the host cell. This exposes the viral nucleic acid, allowing it to be replicated and transcribed by the host cell's machinery. Uncoating can occur through various mechanisms depending on the type of virus, including endocytosis followed by degradation of the capsid or fusion of the viral envelope with the host cell membrane leading to capsid entry into the cytoplasm.