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Introduction to Bacteriophage Infections definitions

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  • Bacteriophage
    A virus that specifically targets and infects bacterial cells, often facilitating gene transfer between bacteria.
  • Phage
    A general term for viruses that infect bacteria, capable of diverse infection cycles and genetic interactions.
  • Horizontal Gene Transfer
    The movement of genetic material between organisms, not by descent, often mediated by viruses in bacteria.
  • Transduction
    A process where bacterial genes are transferred from one cell to another via a viral carrier.
  • Productive Infection
    A viral infection in which new virus particles are generated, possibly resulting in host cell death or continuous virus release.
  • Latent State Infection
    A viral state where the viral genome integrates into the host chromosome without producing new viruses.
  • Lytic Phage
    A virus that causes host cell rupture and death by producing new viral particles in a productive infection.
  • Lysogenic Phage
    A virus capable of integrating its genome into the host chromosome, leading to either silent persistence or later activation.
  • Temperate Phage
    A virus with the ability to choose between a productive or a silent, integrated state within the host genome.
  • Prophage
    Viral DNA that has become part of the bacterial chromosome, remaining dormant but potentially reactivating.
  • Lysogen
    A bacterial cell that harbors integrated viral DNA within its chromosome, passing it to progeny.
  • Cell Lysis
    The rupture and destruction of a cell, often resulting in the release of newly formed viruses.
  • Filamentous Phage
    A virus that infects bacteria via pili, producing new viruses without killing the host cell.
  • Lysogenic Conversion
    A change in bacterial properties due to the presence of integrated viral DNA, sometimes preventing further infection.
  • Superinfection
    A secondary infection of a bacterium already carrying a prophage, often blocked by the initial viral integration.