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Ch. 13 - Viruses, Viroids, and Prions
Tortora - Microbiology: An Introduction 14th Edition
Tortora14th EditionMicrobiology: An IntroductionISBN: 9780138200398Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 13, Problem 5

An example of lysogeny in animals could be
a. slow viral infections.
b. latent viral infections.
c. T-even bacteriophages.
d. infections resulting in cell death.
e. none of the above

Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of lysogeny: Lysogeny is a process where a bacteriophage integrates its genome into the host bacterial DNA and remains dormant without causing immediate lysis of the host cell.
Recognize that lysogeny primarily occurs in bacteria and bacteriophages, not typically in animal viruses, but a similar concept in animals is latent viral infections where the virus remains dormant within host cells.
Analyze each option: (a) slow viral infections involve gradual disease progression but are not necessarily lysogenic; (b) latent viral infections involve dormancy of the virus within animal cells, resembling lysogeny; (c) T-even bacteriophages are bacteriophages that infect bacteria, not animals; (d) infections resulting in cell death are lytic, not lysogenic; (e) none of the above is a fallback if none fit.
Identify that the best analogy to lysogeny in animals is latent viral infections, where the virus remains inactive within the host cells and can reactivate later.
Conclude that the correct answer corresponds to option (b) latent viral infections, as it best represents lysogeny-like behavior in animals.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Lysogeny

Lysogeny is a viral life cycle where the viral genome integrates into the host's DNA and remains dormant without causing immediate harm. This state can persist until certain conditions trigger the virus to enter the lytic cycle, leading to active replication and cell destruction.
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Latent Viral Infections

Latent viral infections occur when viruses remain inactive within host cells for extended periods, similar to lysogeny. The virus does not produce symptoms during latency but can reactivate later, causing disease. This is common in animal viruses like herpesviruses.
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T-even Bacteriophages

T-even bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria and typically follow a lytic cycle, causing rapid host cell lysis. They do not undergo lysogeny, making them distinct from temperate phages that integrate into host genomes.
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