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Bacteriophage Genetics definitions

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  • Bacteriophage
    A virus specialized to infect bacterial cells, often used as a tool to study genetic processes in both viruses and bacteria.
  • Plaque Assay
    A laboratory method where viral infection creates clear zones on a bacterial lawn, allowing quantification and analysis of viral activity.
  • Plaque
    A visible clear spot on a bacterial plate formed by the lysis of bacteria due to viral infection, indicating viral presence.
  • Prophage
    Viral genetic material integrated into a bacterial genome, remaining dormant until triggered to become active.
  • Virulent Phage
    A virus that rapidly reproduces inside a host cell, causing immediate lysis and death of the host.
  • Temperate Phage
    A virus capable of remaining inactive within a host cell for extended periods before eventually causing cell lysis.
  • Recombination Frequency
    A measure of how often genetic exchange occurs between genes, used to estimate their physical distance on a genome.
  • Mixed Infection
    A scenario where two or more viral strains infect the same bacterial culture, enabling genetic recombination studies.
  • Recombinant Phenotype
    A new observable trait combination in progeny, resulting from genetic exchange between different viral strains.
  • Map Unit
    A unit representing the distance between genes, calculated from recombination frequency, with 1% recombination equaling one unit.
  • Entrogenic Recombination
    A unique process in viruses where genetic exchange occurs within a single gene, allowing fine-scale mutation mapping.
  • rII Locus
    A specific genetic region in T4 bacteriophage extensively studied for mutation mapping using recombination analysis.
  • Mutant
    An organism or virus with an altered genetic sequence, often used to study gene function and mapping.
  • Genotype
    The genetic constitution of an organism or virus, determining its potential traits and recombination outcomes.
  • Phenotype
    The observable characteristics or traits of an organism or virus, often used to identify recombinants in genetic studies.