describe process by which a bacteriophage many have evolved from cells of host organisms?
but what evidence supports this view?
please help!!!
2007-03-11 04:08:56 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Since a bacteriophage uses the host cell for reproduction the phage genome need only consist of genes necessary to make the structural proteins of the phage particle. If these genes were moved to a common site in the bacterial chromosome they could easily be excised and packaged as a single unit into the phage head. This seems like a necessary step because packing multiple separate "phage genes" requires some way to recognize each individually to ensure that each phage head receives the full complement.
I don't know of the evidence but I suppose if you can show that individual phage genes exist and function in some bacterial strains this would support the idea...
2007-03-11 04:41:10 · answer #1 · answered by Dastardly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, bacteriophages enter host cells and replicate the DNA. It is possible that they evolved by doing this. Hopefully this site helps you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage
2007-03-11 11:15:07 · answer #2 · answered by puppyraiser8 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋