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Question

What exactly is a Phage?


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Solution

Bacteriophage:

  1. A bacteriophage is a virus that infects a bacterial cell and reproduces inside it.
  2. They show diversity in their shape and genetic material.
  3. A bacteriophage contains DNA or RNA.
  4. Their capsid can be isohedral, filamentous, or head-tail in shape.
  5. The bacteriophage consists of a polyhedral head, a shirt collar, and a helical tail.
  1. Head- Made up of two thousand capsomeres with double-stranded DNA enclosed within.
  2. Tail- The tail consists of an inner hollow tube surrounded by a contractile sheath. The distal end consists of a basal plate with tail fibers around the corner. The bacteriophage attaches to the bacterial surface with the help of these tail fibers.

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