Lytic infection

(microbiology) Penetration of a host cell by lytic phage.

Infection of a bacterium by a bacteriophage with subsequent production of more phage particles and lysis, or dissolution, of the cell. The viruses responsible are commonly called virulent phages. Lytic infection is one of the two major bacteriophage-bacterium relationships, the other being lysogenic infection. See also Bacteriophage; Lysogeny.