Final answer:
The statement that filamentous viruses cannot cause a lytic infection is false. While these viruses often follow a more chronic pattern of infection, they can potentially initiate a lytic cycle under specific conditions, which involves the destruction of the host cell to release new virus particles.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a filamentous virus is incapable of causing a lytic infection is false. In the lytic cycle, new phages are produced which ultimately cause the lysis of the host cell, releasing the newly formed virus particles into the environment. While filamentous viruses typically follow a more chronic infection pattern releasing new viruses without lysis, they can potentially switch to a lytic cycle under specific circumstances such as environmental stress.
In contrast, the lysogenic cycle is indeed a strategy that some viruses use to preserve their genome during unfavorable conditions, incorporating their DNA into the host's genome. However, under certain triggers or environmental stress, the prophage may exit the genome and initiate the lytic cycle. Thus, the lysogenic cycle can act as a dormant phase before entering the lytic cycle, but it does not mean that the virus is incapable of causing a lytic infection.