Question

What will happen if. you contract a virus/bacteriophage that enters the lytic cycle within your body's cells.

Answer 1

If a virus or bacteriophage that enters the lytic cycle infects a host cell, it will ultimately destroy the cell after using it to produce more viruses, which can lead to cell damage and disease.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a virus or bacteriophage enters the lytic cycle within a host cell in your body, the following sequence of events typically occurs:

1. The virus attaches itself to the host cell.
2. It injects its DNA or RNA into the host cell.
3. The viral genetic material takes over the host cell's machinery, redirecting it to produce more viruses.
4. The host cell produces new virus particles, which are assembled inside the cell.
5. Eventually, the new viruses burst out of the cell, destroying it in the process.
6. This releases the new viruses into the surrounding area where they can infect other cells.

The outcome of this process can be damaging to the body as it leads to the destruction of cells. Bacteriophages, like T4, use this method to replicate within bacterial cells such as Escherichia coli. In contrast, viruses that infect eukaryotic cells, including animal and human cells, can cause diseases and trigger immune responses.