bacteriophages
a type of virus that infects bacteria. Infection with a bacteriophage may or may not lead to the death of the bacterium, depending on the phage and sometimes on conditions. Each bacteriophage is specific to one form of bacterium.
Bacteriophages
Main article: Bacteriophage
Transmission electron micrograph of multiple bacteriophages attached to a bacterial cell wall ...
Bacteriophages
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. They are not surrounded by a membrane as the animal-infecting viruses discussed above.
Model bacteriophages
Following is a list of bacteriophages that are extensively studied:
λ phage - Lysogen
T4 phage (169 to 170 kbp, 200 nm long)
T7 phage
R17 phage
M13 phage - Phagemid ...
When bacteriophages containing 35P (radioactive), were allowed to infect nonradioactive bacteria, all the infected cells became radioactive and, in fact, much of the radioactivity was passed on to the next generation of bacteriophages.
Some bacteriophages contribute to the virulence of bacterial infections. Certain phages can enter an alternate life cycle called lysogeny. In this cycle, all the virus's DNA becomes integrated into the genome of the host bacterium.
bacteriophages Viruses that attack and kill bacterial cells; composed only of DNA and protein. PICTURE
bark The outer layer of the stems of woody plants; composed of an outer layer of dead cells (cork) and an inner layer of phloem.
Other bacteriophages can infect a host and insert their DNA into the host DNA. Under certain conditions the viral DNA can detach and direct replication of new virus, eventually killing the host cell.
" The classic example is the cloning vector, which may be circular DNA molecules derived from bacteria or from bacteriophages (viruslike parasites of bacteria), or artificial chromosomes constructed from yeast or bacterial genomic DNA.
Filamentous bacteriophages are used to produce single-stranded DNA for sequencing or in vitro mutagenesis (eg. M13), and as vectors for Phage display expression screening systems ...
Bacteriophage A virus which infects bacteria. Modified bacteriophages are used as cloning vectors. Two which are commonly encountered are bacteriophage lambda and bacteriophage M13.
The majority of viruses are recognised by the diseases they cause in plants, animals and prokaryotes. Viruses of prokaryotes are known as bacteriophages.
 See also: Bacteriophage, Bacteria, DNA, Trans, Virus
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