Question

What is transformation in biology?

Answer 1

Transformation:

1. Bacterial cells acquire DNA from their environment through a process known as transformation.
2. The way that bacterial cells absorb DNA from their environment is through transformation.
3. As was already established, bacterial transformation refers to the reception of DNA molecules from the outside environment through the cell wall followed by their stable inclusion into the recipient genome or replication as an independent plasmid.
4. A viable donor cell is not necessary for gene transfer by transformation; all that is needed is for persistent DNA to exist in the surrounding environment.
5. Bacterial transformation is a method of horizontal gene transfer whereby some bacteria take in unprocessed DNA from their environment.
6. Researchers first insert a DNA fragment, such as a gene, onto a plasmid, a circular piece of DNA, in a conventional cloning procedure.
7. This procedure, known as ligation, makes use of DNA ligase and restriction enzymes.
8. The next step after ligation is transformation, which involves transferring the DNA into bacteria.