The image illustrates a T-even bacteriophage attaching to and penetrating (entering) a host cell. It can be used in conjunction with other teaching materials to show the different mechanisms of viral entry into host cells, depending on the viral type.

A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects bacterial cells. The seven classic T bacteriophages are all capable of infecting a strain of Escherichia coli designated E. coli B. The T-even bacteriophages (T2, T4, and T6) are serologically related and have been studied in depth.

A T bacteriophage, such as depicted here, has viral attachment ligands as a part of the tail fibers. The ligands are specific for a host cell receptor located on the outer membrane of the bacterial cell. When the ligand and receptor experience a chance collision, the virus is attached to the host cell and the virus replication cycle is initiated. After attachment, the bacteriophage injects enzymes to degrade the bacterial cell wall. The viral genome follows and gains entry into the host cell.

This animated GIF was created in Powerpoint and GIF Construction Set by Alchemy Mindworks. The image is suitable for importing into Powerpoint presentations as well as web-based lecture materials. The original size of the animation is 6 inches by 5 inches.