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Abstract
SUMMARY: The staphylococcal bacteriophage 3A consists of a flat, oblong head, c. 600 A. by c. 1000 A., and a long tail, c. 120 A. by c. 2900 A. Fixation with formalin destroys the integrity of the head. Cells infected with the phage release it at the end of the latent period by a process resembling the bursting of a bag. After the phage is released, the empty cell membranes persist for a short time before being dissolved in the medium. Correlation of these findings with turbidity readings and Gram staining of the infected cultures indicate that the turbidity falls only when the shells of the cocci are dissolving.
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© Society for General Microbiology 1953