Podoviridae is a family of bacteriophages, which are viruses that specifically infect bacteria. These viruses are characterized by their short, stubby tails and icosahedral capsids. They play a crucial role in regulating bacterial populations in various environments, including oceans and soil. Members of the Podoviridae family are known for their ability to quickly replicate within bacterial hosts. They attach to the surface of bacteria, inject their genetic material, and hijack the host's cellular machinery to produce new virus particles. This process can lead to the lysis, or destruction, of the bacterial cell, releasing new phages to infect other bacteria.