Bacteriophage diagram: Learn about the meaning

Learn about the meaning, structure and life cycle of bacteriophages, the viruses that infect and kill bacteria. See a diagram of T-4 phage, a common coliphage, and its components. There are 19 known families of bacteriophages, two of which are RNA bacteriophages. The primary families and characteristics of bacteriophages are described with examples in the following section. A bacteriophage is made up of a protein coat which is known as capsid, it also encapsulates the genome and also consists a head like structure which is polyhedral in shape. Bacteriophages may be enveloped or non-enveloped. They also have different shapes. The shapes of bacteriophages include rod-shaped, filamentous, isometric, etc. Learn about the structure, replication, and uses of bacteriophages, the viruses that infect bacteria. See diagrams of lytic and temperate phages, and how they interact with host cells.