bacterial virus n BACTERIOPHAGE
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a virus capable of producing transmissible lysis of bacteria; the virus particle attaches to the bacterial cell wall and viral nucleoprotein enters the cell, resulting in the synthesis of virus and its liberation on physical disruption of the cell. Bacterial viruses are usually specific for bacterial species, but they may be strain-specific or may infect more than one species of bacteria. Called also bacteriophage or phage. See Twort-d'Herelle phenomenon, under phenomenon.Medical dictionary. 2011.