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- what do bacteriophages infect?
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- how do they cause damage?
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- how could bacteriophages be used in medicine?
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Question 1: What do bacteriophages infect?
Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that specifically target and infect bacteria. They attach to bacterial cells and inject their genetic material, using the bacteria's machinery to replicate.
After infecting a bacterial cell, bacteriophages take over the bacterial machinery to replicate their own genetic material and produce new phage particles. This process eventually causes the bacterial cell to lyse (burst open), releasing the new phages and killing the host bacterium. This lysis of bacterial cells is how they cause damage to the bacteria.
Bacteriophages can be used in phage therapy. Since they specifically target and kill bacteria, they can be used to treat bacterial infections, especially those that are resistant to antibiotics. Phages can be selected to target specific pathogenic bacteria, offering a personalized or targeted treatment approach against bacterial diseases.
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