Final answer:
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and destroy bacteria, not the other way around. They can follow a lytic cycle where they reproduce and lyse the bacteria, or a lysogenic cycle where they integrate into the bacterial genome.
Step-by-step explanation:
Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and destroy bacteria. They have a specific lifecycle that includes the lytic cycle where bacteriophages take over a bacterium, reproduce, and finally destroy the bacteria cell by lysing it, releasing new phages. A notable example of a bacteriophage that follows this pattern is the T4 bacteriophage, which infects Escherichia coli. Another lifecycle of bacteriophages is the lysogenic cycle, where the bacteriophage integrates its DNA into the bacterial genome without destroying the host immediately. This phage DNA, known as a prophage, can reactivate and enter the lytic cycle under certain conditions. Therefore, bacteriophages can destroy bacteria, not the other way around.