5. The term, bacteriophage, was coined when plaques were first observed in the 1920 's: the plaques seemed to show a lawn of bacteria being eaten, or phagein (Greek word for "eat"). Compare and contrast the phage lytic cycle with the process of "eating" as we usually apply this term. a) similarities between the phage lytic cycle and eating: b) differences between the phage lytic cycle and eating:.