Final answer:
An episome is DNA that can replicate independently or within a host's chromosomes. The F factor in bacteria and temperate phage, which integrate into the bacterial genome during the lysogenic cycle, are both examples of episomes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question of which of the following is an episome is A) F factor and temperate phage. An episome can be defined as a segment of DNA that can exist and replicate either independently of the host cell's chromosomes or as part of them. The F factor, also known as the fertility factor, in bacteria, is a well-known example of an episome because it can exist as an independent plasmid or integrate into the host bacterium's chromosome.
Additionally, a temperate phage can behave as an episome; during the lysogenic cycle, it integrates its DNA into the host genome as a prophage, maintained until environmental stressors trigger its excision and entry into the lytic cycle, resulting in the production and release of new phages and the lysis of the host cell.