# Lab Report: 14 Bacteriophage Specificity 1. What was the purpose of this exercise? 2. Complete the following table with your observations: | Name of the bacterium | Lysis (yes / no) | | --- | --- | | S. Aureus (1) | Yes | | E. Coli ( - ) | Yes | | Ent. Aerogenes ( - ) | No | 1. How do you know if bacteriophage infected the bacteria? You can see a plaque. 4. Why didn't the bacteriophage infect all three bacteria? Hest Cell Specificity What is the explanation for bacteriophage specificity when it comes to infecting specific bacterium? "ceptors
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Step 1
**Step 1:** The purpose of this exercise was to determine the specificity of a bacteriophage for different types of bacteria.

This was done by mixing the bacteriophage with three different types of bacteria and observing whether lysis (the breaking open of bacterial cells) occurred. **Step 2:** Here is the completed table with observations: | Name of the bacterium | Lysis (yes / no) | | --- | --- | | S. Aureus (1) | Yes | | E. Coli (−) | Yes | | Ent. Aerogenes (−) | No | **Step 3:** You can determine if a bacteriophage infected the bacteria by observing for lysis. If lysis occurs, it indicates that the bacteriophage has infected and killed the bacteria. **Step 4:** The bacteriophage did not infect all three bacteria because of bacteriophage specificity. Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and kill specific types of bacteria. They recognize and bind to specific receptors on the surface of the bacterial cells. If the receptors on the bacterial surface are not compatible with the bacteriophage, then the bacteriophage will not be able to infect the bacteria. In this case, the bacteriophage was able to infect S. Aureus and E. Coli, but not Ent. Aerogenes. This specificity is determined by the receptors on the surface of the bacteria and the ability of the bacteriophage to recognize and bind to those receptors. **

Final Answer

Aureus and E. Coli, but not Ent. Aerogenes. This specificity is determined by the receptors on the surface of the bacteria and the ability of the bacteriophage to recognize and bind to those receptors.