Question

How do bacteria get new genes?

Answer 1

Reproduction in Bacteria:

1. Bacteria are unicellular, microscopic organisms, which have been grouped as prokaryotes, which means these organisms lack a true nucleus.
2. These microscopic organisms reproduce by asexual methods only.
3. They also show the exchange of DNA through conjugation, transformation and transduction.

Bacterial conjugation:

1. The process of conjugation involves the transfer of genes from one bacteria to another.
2. During the process the male cell or donor cell (F+) comes into contact with another female cell or recipient cell (F-).
3. It forms a sex pilus.
4. Through the sex pilus the transfer of genes occurs and the bacteria gets a new gene.

Transformation:

1. It is the process from which bacteria acquires new genes via horizontal gene transfer.
2. Transformation involves engulfment of foreign genes from the surrounding hence, allowing bacteria to take up new genes.

Transduction:

1. It is the process of transfer of new genes via virus.
2. Bacteriophage (viruses that attack bacteria) attack bacteria to take hold of their replicative machinery and generate new phage molecules.
3. The new phage molecules can sometimes incorporate the host genome of bacteria.
4. Upon infecting new bacteria they transfer the incorporated new bacterial genes to the bacteria.