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Bacteriophage Virus

A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacteria. In fact, the word "bacteriophage" literally means "bacteria eater," because bacteriophages destroy their host cells. All bacteriophages are composed of a nucleic acid molecule that is surrounded by a protein structure. Bacteriophage structures are diverse, but the vast majority of characterized phages share some common characteristics. Many phages have an icosahedral, head structure made of repeat protein subunits known as the capsid. The primary difference in phage is the presence or absence of a 'tail' structure.