In the lytic cycle, a virus takes over the _____ and _____ harm the host.

In the lytic cycle, a virus takes over the _____ and _____ harm the host.

• A. Host ribosomes; harms
• B. Host cell's machinery; does
• C. The host DNA; replicates
• D. Host cell membrane; damages

Answer: (B)

In the lytic cycle the virus hijacks the host cell's machinery to produce viral components and replicate, and this takeover ultimately damages and destroys the host cell as new virions are released. The best phrasing highlights that the virus uses the cell’s own resources to make more viruses and, in doing so, does harm to the host. While ribosomes are part of the host’s machinery, focusing only on ribosomes misses the broader commandeering of the cellular systems. The other options don’t capture the full mechanism: the virus doesn’t primarily replicate the host DNA, and membrane damage isn’t the central action of the initial takeover.

In the lytic cycle the virus hijacks the host cell's machinery to produce viral components and replicate, and this takeover ultimately damages and destroys the host cell as new virions are released. The best phrasing highlights that the virus uses the cell’s own resources to make more viruses and, in doing so, does harm to the host. While ribosomes are part of the host’s machinery, focusing only on ribosomes misses the broader commandeering of the cellular systems. The other options don’t capture the full mechanism: the virus doesn’t primarily replicate the host DNA, and membrane damage isn’t the central action of the initial takeover.