Temperate phages are a type of bacteriophage that can adopt a lysogenic life cycle, integrating their genetic material into the host bacterium's genome. This integration allows the phage to exist in a dormant state within the host, called a prophage, and can later switch to the lytic cycle, leading to the production of new phages and cell lysis. This unique ability makes temperate phages significant in both phage therapy and various biotechnological applications, as they can influence bacterial genetics and ecology.
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