prophage
noun
pro·phage
| \ ˈprō-ˌfāj
, -ˌfäzh\
, -ˌfäzh\
Definition of prophage
: an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in which it is harmless to the host, is usually integrated into the hereditary material of the host, and reproduces when the host does
Examples of prophage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Once activated, the prophage cuts itself out of the bacterial genome, replicates and then packages its DNA into phages. — Quanta Magazine, "‘Broadband’ Networks of Viruses May Help Bacteria Evolve Faster," 16 Oct. 2018 Known as a prophage, this stretch of foreign DNA can persist for generations before activating. — Quanta Magazine, "‘Broadband’ Networks of Viruses May Help Bacteria Evolve Faster," 16 Oct. 2018 In the right conditions—say, if the bacteria are damaged, stressed, or exposed to certain conditions—prophages can awaken. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "Never-before-seen viruses that can kill bacteria stream from women’s bladders," 1 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'prophage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for prophage
prophage
noun
pro·phage
| \ ˈprō-ˌfāj
, -ˌfäzh
\
, -ˌfäzh
\
Medical Definition of prophage
: an intracellular form of a bacteriophage in which it is harmless to the host, is usually integrated into the hereditary material of the host, and reproduces when the host does