what is bacteriophage?
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The viruses that attack and destroy their nuclear materials are called bacteriophage....
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A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacteria. In fact, the word "bacteriophage" literally means "bacteria eater," because bacteriophages destroy their host cells. All bacteriophages are composed of a nucleic acid molecule that is surrounded by a protein structure.A bacteriophage is a type of virus that attacks only bacteria. It uses the bacteria to reproduce itself. Bacteriophages work by injecting their own DNA into bacterial cells. They use the biological machinery of the bacteria to reproduce, and many more viruses are created this way.Bacteriophages are composed of proteins that encapsulate a DNA or RNA genome, and may have structures that are either simple or elaborate.Bacteriophages are much more specific than antibiotics. They are typically harmless not only to the host organism but also to other beneficial bacteria, such as the gut flora, reducing the chances of opportunistic infections.Bacteriophages can be used effectively to cure bacterial infections. They are known to be active against bacteria but inactive against eukaryotic cells. ... Bacteriophages are a very differentiated group of viruses and at least some of them can influence cancer processes.The long tail fibers are used by the bacteriophage to attach itself to the bacterium and the virus then inserts its genetic material inside of the host cell to begin the replication process. The bacteriophage uses the host cell to replicate and make more bacteriophages.Martinus Beijerinck
Martinus BeijerinckIn 1892, Dmitry Ivanovsky used one of these filters to show that sap from a diseased tobacco plant remained infectious to healthy tobacco plants despite having been filtered. Martinus Beijerinck called the filtered, infectious substance a "virus" and this discovery is considered to be the beginning of virology.
Bacteriophages (phages) are viruses of bacteria that can kill and lyse the bacteria they infect. After their discovery early in the 20th century, phages were widely used to treat various bacterial diseases in people and animals.Bacteriophages, just like other viruses, must infect a host cell in order to reproduce. The steps that make up the infection process are collectively called the lifecycle of the phage. Some phages can only reproduce via a lytic lifecycle, in which they burst and kill their host cells.
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