The
lysogenic cycle is a form of
phage reproduction. It is contrasted with the
lytic cycle.
The lysogenic cycle replicates the
viral genome without destroying the
host, in contrast to the
lytic cycle, which kills the
host cell.
Phage
DNA is
injected into the
chromosome but integrates into the
bacterial chromosome, becoming a
prophage, a
DNA molecule that is
incorperated by
genetic recombination into a specific site on the host's cell's
chromosome.
The
bacterium reproduces
normally, copying the
prophage and
transmitting it to
daughter cells. This produces a colony of bacteria with prophage.
The lytic cycle can be induced, killing the
host cell. It is usually an
environmental trigger, such as
radiation or the presence of
certain chemicals, that switches the virus from the lysogenic to the lytic
cycle.