Which term describes the process of a virus losing its capsid and exposing viral nucleic acids to the immediate environment?

The term that describes the process of a virus losing its capsid and exposing viral nucleic acids to the immediate environment is "uncoating".

Here are the steps of how a virus uncoats:

1. Attachment: The virus attaches itself to a host cell. This is usually specific, meaning the virus has a specific type of cell it prefers to infect.

2. Penetration: The virus penetrates the host cell, injecting its nucleic acid or by endocytosis where the whole virus is engulfed by the host cell.

3. Uncoating: After penetration, the viral capsid is removed, or uncoated, exposing the viral nucleic acids to the cellular environment. This can happen through host cell enzymes, viral enzymes or by simple dissolution.

4. Replication: The viral nucleic acid uses the host cell's machinery to replicate itself.

5. Assembly: New viral particles are assembled within the host cell.

6. Release: The new viral particles are released from the host cell, either by causing the cell to burst, or by budding off from the cell membrane.