Final answer:
The answer to the question is False; bacteriophages specifically infect prokaryotic microorganisms like bacteria, and do not infect eukaryotic cells. Bacteriophages have two main life cycle paths: the lytic cycle where they use the host to replicate and then lyse the cell, and the lysogenic cycle where the viral DNA integrates into the host genome.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bacteriophages are a type of virus that specifically infects bacterial cells, not eukaryotic cells. This means the correct answer to the question is False: Bacteriophages infect prokaryotic microorganisms, primarily bacteria, and do not infect eukaryotic microorganisms. It's important to understand the difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, do not have a nucleus or other membrane-bound organelles, whereas eukaryotic cells, such as human and plant cells, do.
In the context of the bacteriophage's life cycle, during the lytic cycle, the virus hijacks the bacterial cell machinery to produce new viruses that are released when the bacteria is lysed or broken open. In contrast, in the lysogenic cycle, the phage DNA is incorporated into the host genome and can remain dormant for an extended period until external stressors may reactivate it, leading back to the lytic cycle.