ORIGIN AND FATE OF BACTERIOPHAGE MATERIAL

Abstract

My role in this symposium is to discuss the origin of the various chemical components of the viral progeny, as well as the transformations undergone by the parent particle during the infectious process. A phage particle can be considered as being composed of roughly equal amounts of desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and protein and possibly containing a small amount of lipid. One can ask from where the materials come which are used for viral synthesis? What are the mechanisms by which these materials are fashioned into virus?