bakteerisyöjää

Bakteerisyöjää, known scientifically as bacteriophage, is a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. The term "bacteriophage" literally means "bacteria eater" in Greek. These viruses are ubiquitous in nature, found wherever bacteria exist, including soil, water, and even the human gut.

Bacteriophages are obligate intracellular parasites, meaning they require a host cell, in this case, a bacterium, to reproduce. The process of infection typically begins with the bacteriophage attaching to the surface of a susceptible bacterium. It then injects its genetic material, either DNA or RNA, into the host cell. Once inside, the phage's genetic material hijacks the bacterium's cellular machinery, forcing it to produce new phage particles. This lytic cycle culminates in the lysis, or bursting, of the bacterial cell, releasing numerous new phages that can then infect other bacteria. Some bacteriophages can also enter a lysogenic cycle, where their genetic material integrates into the host's genome and replicates along with it without immediately destroying the cell.

Bacteriophages are incredibly diverse, with various shapes and sizes, and exhibit high host specificity, meaning a particular phage typically infects only a narrow range of bacterial species or even strains. This specificity has led to significant interest in their potential use as therapeutic agents, a field known as phage therapy, as an alternative to antibiotics for combating bacterial infections, particularly those caused by antibiotic-resistant strains.