Asked in PMC Practice Test 19 (2021) 2021Moderate

Bacteriophages have been used widely in genetic research since they are the smallest and simplest biological entities capable of?

Correct answer: A. Self replication in host cell

  • A. Self replication in host cell
  • B. Duplication
  • C. Self duplication
  • D. Multiplication in host cell

Explanation

Option: A Bacteriophages have been widely used in genetic research because they can easily replicate inside host cells. Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, are useful in the study of how genes function. The attributes of bacteriophages include their small size and simplicity of genetic organization. The most intensively studied bacteriophage is the phage called lambda. Bacteriophages have been widely used in genetic research because they can efficiently transfer genetic material between bacterial cells. This process, known as transduction, can be used to introduce new genes into bacterial cells or to study the function of existing genes. Bacteriophages are also used in the development of phage therapy, which uses phages to treat bacterial infections. While the process of phage replication can be complex, it has not prevented the use of bacteriophages in genetic research. Option B is wrong because bacteriophages are used in genetic research because they can efficiently transfer genetic material between bacterial cells, not because of duplication. Option C is wrong because bacteriophages are used in genetic research because they can efficiently transfer genetic material between bacterial cells, not because of self-duplication. Option D is wrong because bacteriophages are used in genetic research because they can efficiently transfer genetic material between bacterial cells, not because of multiplication in the host cell.

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