Once the genome makes its way inside the cell, it can hijack the host by one of two possible pathways. In the parasitic, or lysogenic, pathway, the viral genome insinuates itself into that of its host, where it can stay buried for many generations, waiting for the right moment to strike. By contrast, in the infectious, or lytic, pathway, the genome commandeers its host’s resources immediately, directing the bacterium to produce viral proteins instead of bacterial proteins and replicate the viral genome many times over until the cell violently bursts open from the mounting pressure and scatters
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