Eli5-If a virus isn’t technically alive, I would assume it doesn’t have instinct. Where does it get its instructions/drive to know to infect host cells and multiply?

Question

Eli5-If a virus isn’t technically alive, I would assume it doesn’t have instinct. Where does it get its instructions/drive to know to infect host cells and multiply?

In: 7067

Answer 1

Most of the “instructions” come from shape. There are proteins on the outside that attach to proteins that their host have. There are proteins inside that automatically eject the genetic payload when the attachment proteins click into place. The genetic package has then bits that are the right shape to click themselves into the cell structures that will replicate them and build new copies of the virus.