Question

The transfer of genetic material from the bacterium to another through the mediation of a vector like virus is termed as:

• A. transduction
• B. conjugation
• C. transformation
• D. translation

Answer 1

The correct option is A transduction

Transduction is the process through which DNA is transferred from one bacterium to another by a virus. The bacteriophages function as a vector to transfer DNA from donor bacteria into recipient bacteria. The transfer of bacterial genes by phage was discovered by Lederberg and Zinder in 1951 in Salmonella typhimurium. There are two types of transduction : -

1. Generalized transduction: In this type of transduction each part of the bacterial genome has approximately the same probability of being transferred from the donor to recipient bacteria.

2. Specialized transduction: It is mediated only by specific temperate phages, and only a few specific donor genes can be transferred to recipient bacteria.

So, the correct option is 'Transduction'.