Final answer:
Animal viruses differ from bacteriophages in mode of transmission, replication strategy, host specificity, and viral structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Most animal viruses differ from bacteriophages in various ways:
- Mode of transmission: Animal viruses typically enter host cells through endocytosis or membrane fusion, while bacteriophages inject their genetic material into bacteria through their tail fibers.
- Replication strategy: Animal viruses follow similar infection stages as bacteriophages but differ in the mechanisms of penetration, nucleic-acid biosynthesis, and release.
- Host specificity: Animal viruses are usually host specific and only infect certain types of hosts or cells, whereas bacteriophages can infect a broad range of bacterial species.
- Viral structure: Although both animal viruses and bacteriophages have a protein capsid, animal viruses often have an additional viral envelope.