Viruses reproduce by infecting host cells and hijacking their cellular machinery to replicate and produce new viral particles. They cannot reproduce on their own as they lack the necessary cellular machinery and energy production mechanisms. Once inside a host cell, the virus injects its genetic material (DNA or RNA) into the cell, which then takes over the cell's machinery to make new viral particles. These new viral particles are then released from the host cell and go on to infect other cells, continuing the cycle of viral replication.
