Final answer:
Lysogeny is advantageous to a bacteriophage because it allows the bacteriophage to replicate its genetic material along with the host cell's DNA, thus amplifying its presence within the host population without killing the host cells immediately, as would occur during the lytic cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
Why is lysogeny advantageous to a bacteriophage? The correct answer is A) the genetic material of the bacteriophage is amplified many times over that seen in a lytic phage. During the lysogenic cycle, a temperate bacteriophage has the ability to incorporate its DNA into the host cell's genome. This process enables the bacteriophage to be replicated along with the host cell's DNA whenever the host cell divides. Thus, the bacteriophage's genetic material is preserved and can increase in number within the population of host cells without immediately killing them, which might happen in a lytic cycle. Moreover, the integration of phage DNA into the host genome allows the phage to be maintained in a dormant state within the host until conditions are more favorable for entering a lytic cycle. Environmental stressors such as starvation or exposure to toxic chemicals may trigger the prophage to excise from the host genome and initiate a lytic cycle, producing more virions. Therefore, not only is the phage's DNA amplified, but it also allows the virus to stay resilient in less than optimal conditions.