What is the primary method of reproduction for viruses? 

Viruses reproduce by infecting host cells and hijacking the host's cellular machinery to replicate their genetic material and assemble new viral particles. This process is known as viral replication and differs significantly from cellular mitosis, which is a process of cell division in which a cell duplicates its entire genome and divides into two identical daughter cells.

During viral replication, the virus attaches to a host cell and injects its genetic material into the cell. The viral genetic material takes over the host cell's replication machinery, forcing it to produce multiple copies of the virus's genetic material and viral proteins. These components are then assembled into new viral particles that can infect other cells.