Question

What of these horizontal transfer methods is used most often for transferring genetic information between bacteria (bacteria to bacteria) at the

Surface of the ocean?

Bottom of the ocean?

During sepsis (bacterial infection of the blood)?

why you choose your answer?

Answer 1

There are three horizontal transfer methods for transferring genetic information between bacteria: 1. Transformation, 2. Transduction, and 3. conjugation.

Bottom of the ocean: Here the preffered method is transduction. Transduction method is the transfer of genetic material with the help of bactrial virus (bacteriophage). Bacteriophage is the major component of deep sea ecosystem. Thus, here sufficient availability of bacteriophage virus favors transduction.

During sepsis: Here the preffered methos is conjugation. In conjugation method, the transfer of genetic information occurs by the direct contact of bacterial cell. Once a bacetrial infection occurs, bacterial cells divide in the host body and they frequently come in contact of one another by circulatory system of host. Thus, due to frequent physical contact between bacterial cells during sepsis, the preffered method is conjugation.

Surface of the ocean: Here the preffered method is transformation. In transformation, a bacterial cell directly uptake the DNA molecule from the environment.