Final answer:
Lysogenic conversion refers to the change in the host cell's phenotype due to the integration of viral DNA into its genome, often resulting in new properties like enhanced virulence due to the expression of phage-borne toxin genes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lysogenic conversion, also known as phage conversion, refers to c) the change in host cell phenotype due to integrated viral genes. In the lysogenic cycle of a temperate bacteriophage, the viral DNA, called a prophage when integrated, becomes part of the host bacterium's genome. This odd integration can lead to new properties in the host cell, such as increased virulence due to the expression of toxin genes originally carried by the phage. For example, Vibrio cholerae can produce a toxin causing severe diarrhea and Clostridium botulinum can produce a paralytic toxin due to lysogenic conversion. This phenomenon is distinct from the lytic cycle, where the virus replicates and leads to cell lysis, and from generalized and specialized transduction, which involve the transfer of bacterial DNA from one cell to another.