There are two cycles of viral reproduction. The first cycle is called the lytic cycle. First, a virus must attach to a host, in this case a bacteria. Once connected, the virus injects its DNA into the host which proceeds to take over the cell. The virus then uses the cell's own organelles to copy itself over and over. The host cell is then destroyed and the copied viruses are released into the surrounding environment to find a host to infect.
Lysogenic Stage
A virus found in the lysogenic stage can switch to the lytic stage if needed. Viruses found in the lysogenic stage exist in harsh conditions. The begining of the lysogenic stage is much like the lytic stage. First the virus connects to a host and injects DNA into it. This is the point where the two stages diverge. In the lysogenic stage the DNA becomes part of the cell's chromosome. When the cell's chromosome is replicated the viral DNA is also replicated.
Source:
http://biology.kenyon.edu/HHMI/Biol113/2virus.htm
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