Animation of a bacteriophage virus, or phage green, infecting a bacterium by penetrating its cell wall. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. The phage consists of an icosahedral 20_sided head, which contains the genetic material either DNA or RNA, red strands, and a thick tail with several bent tail fibres. The tail is used to inject the genetic material into the host cell to infect it. The phage then uses the bacterium磗 genetic machinery to replicate itself. When a sufficient number have been produced the phages exit the cell by lysis, a process that kills the cell. Master same as original.