Question

Explain in detail about lytic cycle and lysogenic cycle?

Answer 1

Lytic and lysogenic cycles are two types of viral reproduction.

​Lytic cycle:

1. The virus enters the host cell and takes over its cellular machinery.
2. Viral genome is replicated and under its control several new virus particles are produced.
3. After some time, the host cell is lysed and all progeny viruses emerge from the disrupted host cell and each one is capable of infecting new cell and continuing the lytic cycle.

Lysogenic cycle:

1. The virus enters the host cell and incorporates its genome in the host genome.
2. The host continues to live normally and with each replication of the host genome the viral genome is replicated and with each subsequent host cell division two cells containing viral genome are produced.
3. In this way the virus keeps propagating along with the host cell and the host also continues to live i.e. not lysed.
4. The host cell can release virus particles under certain conditions like exposure to UV rays or any other chemical like the lytic ones and each released virus particle can infect a new host cell.