Bacteriophages, or phages, don't "eat" in the traditional sense of consuming and digesting food. Instead, they infect bacterial cells by hijacking their cellular machinery to replicate themselves.
Here's a breakdown of the process:
- Attachment: A bacteriophage first attaches to the surface of a compatible bacterium. The phage has specific proteins on its tail fibers that recognize and bind to receptors on the bacterial cell wall. Think of it like a lock and key.
- Injection: After attachment, the phage injects its genetic material (DNA or RNA) into the bacterium. It's similar to a syringe injecting a liquid.
- Replication: Once inside, the phage's genetic material takes over the bacterial cell's machinery. The bacterium starts making copies of the phage's DNA or RNA, as well as the phage's protein components (capsid proteins, tail fibers, etc.).
- Assembly: The newly synthesized phage components are assembled into new phage particles. These are like tiny, self-replicating machines.
- Lysis (or Release): Finally, the bacterial cell bursts open (lyses), releasing the newly formed phages. These phages can then infect other bacteria, continuing the cycle. Alternatively, in some cases (lysogeny), the phage DNA integrates into the bacterial chromosome and replicates along with the bacterium without immediately killing it. Eventually, it can enter the lytic cycle.
Therefore, bacteriophages don't consume bacteria like an animal eats food. They essentially reprogram the bacterial cell to become a phage-producing factory, ultimately leading to the destruction of the bacterial cell and the release of new phages. The energy and resources used for phage replication are derived from the bacterial cell itself.
