What are the general phases in the life cycle of animal viruses as described in the chapter?

The general phases in the life cycle of animal viruses are adsorption, penetration, synthesis, assembly, and release from the host cell.

The life cycle of animal viruses involves several key phases. It begins with adsorption, where the virus attaches to specific receptors on the host cell's membrane. This is followed by penetration, where the virus enters the host cell, often through fusion or endocytosis, and uncoating occurs to release viral nucleic acid into the host cell. During the synthesis phase, the host cell's machinery is used to produce viral components like RNA, capsomers, and spikes. Assembly then occurs, where new virus particles are constructed. Finally, the release phase involves the new viruses leaving the host cell, either by budding or cell lysis, to infect new cells.