Question

Why does the phage reproduce with killing their host?

Answer 1

Answer:

Some phages can only reproduce via a lytic lifecycle, in which they burst and kill their host cells. Other phages can alternate between a lytic lifecycle and a lysogenic lifecycle, in which they don't kill the host cell (and are instead copied along with the host DNA each time the cell divides).

Let's take closer look at these two cycles. As an example, we'll use a phage called lambda (\lambdaλlambda), which infects E. coli bacteria and can switch between the lytic and lysogenic cycles.