What is bacteriophage and its structure?
What is bacteriophage and its structure?
A bacteriophage is a virus that infects a bacterial cell and reproduces inside it. They vary a lot in their shape and genetic material. A bacteriophage may contain DNA or RNA. The genes range from four to several thousand. Their capsid can be isohedral, filamentous, or head-tail in shape.
What structures are used by bacteriophages?
Answer and Explanation: The external structure of bacteriophages is made up of proteins and is known as a capsid or phage coat.
What is the shape of bacteriophage?
The capsid of a bacteriophage can be icosahedral, filamentous, or head-tail in shape.
What are bacteriophages made of?
All bacteriophages are composed of a nucleic acid molecule that is surrounded by a protein structure. A bacteriophage attaches itself to a susceptible bacterium and infects the host cell.
Which best describes a bacteriophage?
Which of the following is the best description of a bacteriophage? Explanation: A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacteria. They are not considered living (becuase they cannot replicate on their own) organisms, nor are they techincally considered non-living organisms.
Are bacteriophages organic?
Bacteriophages are the most prevalent organic entities in the world. These viral units are present everywhere, from the soil to water and air. Bacteriophages as obligate parasites play a key role in balancing the bacterial count.
What is a bacteriophage What is it made of?
A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacteria. In fact, the word “bacteriophage” literally means “bacteria eater,” because bacteriophages destroy their host cells. All bacteriophages are composed of a nucleic acid molecule that is surrounded by a protein structure.
What is the shape of a bacteriophage?
A bacteriophage is a virus that infects bacteria The capsid of a bacteriophage can be icosahedral, filamentous, or head-tail in shape.
What are the two parts of a bacteriophage?
A phage particle is composed of a single type of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) and a protein capsid that protects the genetic material.
What type of organism is a bacteriophage?
Bacteriophages or phages are the most abundant organisms in the biosphere and they are a ubiquitous feature of prokaryotic existence. A bacteriophage is a virus which infects a bacterium.
What is the main function bacteriophage?
Bacteriophage enzymes destroy the bacterial cell wall from both outside and inside by hydrolyzing carbohydrate and protein components. All these proteins protect phage genetic material, secure injection of the phage nucleic acid into the bacterial cell, and promote phage propagation.
How many genes are in a bacteriophage?
Bacteriophages are composed of proteins that encapsulate a DNA or RNA genome, and may have structures that are either simple or elaborate. Their genomes may encode as few as four genes (e.g. MS2) and as many as hundreds of genes.
What shape are bacteriophages?
Is bacteriophage DNA or RNA?
Bacteriophage have either DNA or RNA as their genetic material, in either circular or linear configuration, as a single- or a double-stranded molecule.
What is the genetic material in bacteriophage?
What is inside a bacteriophage?
Characteristics of bacteriophages Like all viruses, phages are simple organisms that consist of a core of genetic material (nucleic acid) surrounded by a protein capsid. The nucleic acid may be either DNA or RNA and may be double-stranded or single-stranded.
What are the basic structural features of bacteriophages?
The basic structural features of bacteriophages are (which depicts the phage called T4) 1. Size -T4 is among the largest phages; it is approximately 200 nm long and 80-100 nm wide. Other phages are smaller. Most phages range in size from 24-200 nm in length.
What is the structure of bacteriophage T4?
The structure of bacteriophage T4 consists of a protein capsid, called, head which consists of a linear double-stranded DNA molecule. At the end of the tail is a 925 Å long and 520 Å diameter contractile tail attached to a special portal at the base of the head.
What are the six groups of bacteriophages?
In 1967, Bradley proposed the classification of bacteriophage-based on six morphological groups: Bacteriophage with hexagonal head and tail with contractile sheath Bacteriophage with a hexagonal head and long, flexible tail Bacteriophage with a hexagonal head and short, non-contractile tail
What is the structure of a phage particle?
The structure of the phage particle consists of a protein head or capsid, a non-contractile tail, and tail fibers. The viral genome is present inside the capsid of the virus.