Question:

Identify the phage that attacks a host cell but do not destroy it immediately

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Temperate phage = lysogenic cycle = no immediate cell lysis.
Updated On: Jul 18, 2026
  • Virulent phage
  • Mycophage
  • Temperate phage
  • Zoophage
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The Correct Option is C

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding bacteriophages.
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria. They can follow two types of life cycles: lytic cycle and lysogenic cycle. Their behavior determines whether the host cell is destroyed immediately or not.

Step 2: Virulent phage characteristics.
Virulent phages strictly follow the lytic cycle. They rapidly multiply inside the host cell and cause immediate destruction of the bacterial cell after replication.

Step 3: Temperate phage behavior.
Temperate phages can integrate their genetic material into the host genome and remain dormant. This lysogenic phase does not immediately destroy the host cell.

Step 4: Comparison with other options.
Mycophages infect fungi and zoophages infect animals, but neither describes the life-cycle behavior asked in the question.

Step 5: Biological significance.
Temperate phages are important in genetic transfer and bacterial evolution because they can transfer genes between bacteria through lysogeny.

Step 6: Final conclusion.
Thus, the phage that does not immediately destroy the host cell is a temperate phage.
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