How do viruses typically reproduce?

Viruses reproduce by parasitizing a living cell, which is the primary mechanism through which they replicate. They cannot reproduce on their own because they lack the cellular machinery necessary for metabolic processes and self-replication. Instead, viruses must infect a host cell and hijack its biochemical pathways to produce new viral particles.

Once inside the host cell, a virus injects its genetic material, which can be either DNA or RNA, into the cell. This viral genetic material then takes control of the host's cellular machinery, prompting it to synthesize viral components such as proteins and nucleic acids. These components are then assembled into new viral particles, which can eventually be released from the host cell to infect additional cells.

This method of reproduction underscores the parasitic nature of viruses, as they rely entirely on the living cells they infect for their replication and survival. Other reproductive methods described in the other options refer to processes utilized by bacteria and other microorganisms, which operate under different cellular mechanisms.