A bacteriophage infects a bacterium and integrates its genome into the host, remaining dormant; this is the _____ cycle.

A bacteriophage infects a bacterium and integrates its genome into the host, remaining dormant; this is the _____ cycle.

• A. Lytic cycle
• B. Productive cycle
• C. Lysogenic cycle
• D. Temperate cycle

Answer: (C)

Bacteriophage life strategies include lysogeny, where the phage genome integrates into the host chromosome and remains dormant as a prophage. In this state the phage isn’t actively making new particles, and the host cell can continue to divide, passing the prophage to daughter cells. The genome can later be induced to switch to the lytic cycle, which then produces new virions and lyses the cell. This description matches the lysogenic cycle because dormancy and genome integration are the defining features. The lytic cycle would involve immediate replication and cell destruction, not dormancy. The term productive cycle isn’t the standard description for this dormancy-based state, and while temperate phages can undergo lysogeny, the most precise label for this scenario is lysogenic.

Bacteriophage life strategies include lysogeny, where the phage genome integrates into the host chromosome and remains dormant as a prophage. In this state the phage isn’t actively making new particles, and the host cell can continue to divide, passing the prophage to daughter cells. The genome can later be induced to switch to the lytic cycle, which then produces new virions and lyses the cell. This description matches the lysogenic cycle because dormancy and genome integration are the defining features. The lytic cycle would involve immediate replication and cell destruction, not dormancy. The term productive cycle isn’t the standard description for this dormancy-based state, and while temperate phages can undergo lysogeny, the most precise label for this scenario is lysogenic.