Final answer:
The description correctly paired with its viral cycle is option C, which relates to the lysogenic cycle where the infection can remain dormant in the host genome before activation leads to the lytic cycle. The lytic cycle is characterized by the production and release of new virions, ultimately causing cell lysis. Distinctions between both cycles are crucial for understanding viral replication and pathogenesis.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparison of the Lytic and Lysogenic Cycles
The correct pairing of the description with its viral cycle is C. Lysogenic cycle: Infection remains hidden until many years later when lysis and cell death occur. In the lysogenic cycle, the viral DNA (or prophage) integrates into the host cell's genome and can remain dormant for many years. However, an environmental trigger can activate the prophage, causing it to enter into the lytic cycle, leading to the production of new virions, lysis, and death of the host cell.
In contrast, the lytic cycle is characterized by the production of new viruses (virions) that will eventually burst the host cell. This cycle does not involve integration of the viral genome into the host's DNA for replication, making options A and B incorrect. Option D is also incorrect as it describes the action of the lytic cycle rather than the lysogenic cycle.
The lysogenic cycle has the potential to produce more virions in the long term because the integrated viral genome (prophage) can replicate along with the host cell and be passed on to subsequent generations before eventually entering the lytic cycle. Phage DNA is incorporated into the host genome during the lysogenic cycle, and cell lysis only occurs in the lytic cycle.