4. How do phages reproduce?

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Question: 4. How do phages reproduce?

Option 1: 'Phages reproduce sexually and asexually.' This is inaccurate because phages are viruses and do not reproduce through sexual processes or typical cellular reproduction; they require a host to replicate their genetic material.

Option 2: 'Phages reproduce by insinuating themselves into the metabolism of the host.' The phrase is misleading: phages do not simply insinuate into the host metabolism as a standalone mechanism; their life cycles involve injecting their genetic material and taking over the host’s machinery, not a general insinuation into metabolism.

Option 3: 'Phages reproduce by lysing the target bacteria cell wall.' While lysis is a consequence of productive infection for many phages, reproduction itself is more specifically about how the phage genome replicates and assembles inside the cell, not the act of lysing the cell wall. This option confuses a step (cell destruction) with the replication process.

Option 4: 'Phages reproduce by insinuating themselves into the host DNA.' This description aligns with the lysogenic cycle, where temperate phages integrate their genome into the host’s DNA (becoming a prophage) and propagate as the host divides. It captures the mechanism of genetic integration rather than immediate lytic replication.

Overall, the nuanced interpretations are that phages use distinct life cycles: some initiate lytic replication leading to host cell lysis, while others can integrate into the host genome to replicate along with it. The option describing integration into the host DNA best matches the lysogenic pathway and the concept of prophage maintenance within the host genome.

FOOD90023_2025_SM1 Quiz 3

4. How do phages reproduce?

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