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Bacteriophage: Lytic Phage Infections definitions

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  • Bacteriophage
    A virus that specifically infects bacterial cells, using them to replicate and produce new viral particles.
  • Lytic Cycle
    A sequence of events in which a virus replicates within a bacterium, ending with host cell destruction and phage release.
  • Productive Infection
    A viral process resulting in the creation of new viral particles and eventual host cell lysis.
  • Attachment
    The initial step where a virus binds to specific receptors on a bacterial cell's surface.
  • Genome Entry
    The process where viral DNA is injected into a host cell, while the protein coat remains outside.
  • Synthesis
    A stage where viral enzymes degrade host DNA and direct the production of viral proteins and genomes.
  • Assembly
    The step where newly made viral components are put together inside the host to form complete viruses.
  • Release
    The final phase where the host cell ruptures, freeing new viruses to infect other cells.
  • Host Cell
    A bacterial cell that provides the environment and resources for viral replication.
  • Receptor
    A specific molecule on a bacterial surface recognized and bound by a virus during infection.
  • Protein Coat
    The protective outer shell of a virus that remains outside the host during genome injection.
  • Phage Enzyme
    A viral protein that breaks down host DNA, disabling the host's genetic functions.
  • Bacterial Chromosome
    The main genetic material of a bacterium, targeted and degraded during viral infection.
  • Lysis
    The breaking open of a cell, resulting in the release of newly formed viral particles.
  • Phage Protein
    A viral structural or functional molecule produced during infection, essential for new virus assembly.