Reproduction in Bacteria
Bacteria reproduce by two ways, Asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction. Many prokaryotes can reproduce quickly in favorable environments.
By binary fission.
Rapid Reproduction and Mutation.
Although new mutations are a major source of variation in prokaryotic populations, additional diversity arises from genetic recombination, the combining of DNA from two sources.
Transformation and Transduction
In transformation, the genotype and possibly phenotype of a prokaryotic cell are altered by the uptake of foreign DNA from its surroundings. For example, a harmless strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae can be transformed into
pneumonia-causing cells if the cells are exposed to DNA from a pathogenic strain.
In transduction, phages (from “bacteriophages,” the viruses that infect bacteria) carry prokaryotic genes from one host cell to another. In most cases, transduction results from accidents that occur during the phage replicative cycle.
Conjugation and Plasmids
In a process called conjugation, DNA is transferred between two prokaryotic cells (usually of the same species) that are temporarily joined. In bacteria, the DNA transfer is always one-way: One cell donates the DNA, and the other receives it. We’ll focus here on the mechanism used by E. coli.
#Transformation
#BinaryFission
#Conjugation
#Transduction
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