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Chapter 2 : Of Microbes And Men

Decent Essays

1. Based on Chapter 2: Of Microbes and Men (Pages 28 – 51)
a. Describe in details the four ways in which bacteria increase their genetic diversity. (10 points)
One of the four ways that bacteria can increase their genetic diversity is by conjugation. This is a process by which a bacterium can transfer genetic material to another bacterium of different mating type, through direct contact. During conjugation one bacterium is going to be the receptor of the genetic material while the other is going to be the donor. The donor bacterium is going to grow a tube-like structure called a pilus, which is going to be used to contact the other bacterium and to transfer the genetic material. Usually these genetic material is going to have the form of plasmid, which are small circular pieces of non-chromosomal DNA. Another method that bacteria have developed in order to acquire different DNA is transformation. These is a process by which some bacteria can get pieces of DNA from the external environment, under certain circumstances. Transformation occur naturally in Bacillus, and some Streptococcus and Staphylococcus species. The third means by which bacteria obtain new DNA is by the acquisition of plasmids. These plasmids can travel between bacteria of the same or different species, and the act like parasitic pieces of DNA that infect bacteria. Usually these plasmids are not required for the normal function of bacteria and is often expel by them, unless it contains material beneficial

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