Question
Question: What does one mean by recombination in bacteria?...
What does one mean by recombination in bacteria?
Solution
Bacteria are single-celled organisms with a small size. Bacteria can be found almost everywhere on the planet and are essential to its ecosystems. Some species are able to survive in extremes of temperature and pressure. Bacteria abound in the human body, which is estimated to contain more bacterial cells than human cells.
Complete answer:
Genetic recombination (also known as genetic reshuffling) is the exchange of genetic material between organisms that results in the production of offspring with traits that are different from either parent. Genetic recombination during meiosis in eukaryotes can result in a new set of genetic information that can be passed down from parents to offspring. Most recombination is naturally occurring.
Recombination is the process of breaking and recombining pieces of DNA to create new allele combinations. This recombination process results in genetic diversity at the gene level, reflecting differences in DNA sequences between organisms.
In bacteria, recombination is the transfer of genetic material from one cell to another. It can happen as a result of three different processes:
1. Transformation: Transformation is the genetic alteration of a cell caused by the direct uptake and incorporation of exogenous genetic material from its surroundings through the cell membrane in molecular biology and genetics.
2. Transduction: Transduction is the process by which a virus or viral vector introduces foreign DNA into a cell. The viral transfer of DNA from one bacterium to another, which is an example of horizontal gene transfer, is one example.
3. Conjugation: Conjugation is the transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another through direct contact. During conjugation, one bacterium serves as the donor and the other as the recipient of genetic material. The fertility factor, or F-factor, is a DNA sequence carried by the donor bacterium.
Genetic recombinants are individuals who carry both the genes they inherited from their parent cells and the genes introduced to their genomes by conjugation, transduction, and/or transformation as a result of conjugation, transduction, and/or transformation.
Notes:
At least 67 bacterial species have the ability to undergo natural transformation. Pathogenic bacterial species are prone to natural transformation. In some cases, the bacterial pathogen's survival is aided by the DNA repair capability provided by recombination during transformation. Several interacting bacterial gene products carry out bacterial transformation.