Bacteriophagy

/bæk,tɪərioʊˈfeɪdʒi/ noun

Definition

The act or process of bacteria being consumed or destroyed by bacteriophages.

Etymology

From bacterio- (bacteria) + -phagy (Greek phagein, 'to eat'). A variant form emphasizing the consumption process.

Kelly Says

In traditional bacteriophagy, a single phage can reproduce so rapidly inside a bacterial cell that the host bacterium bursts open within 20-30 minutes, releasing hundreds of new phages to infect nearby bacteria.

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