Which is true about bacterial conjugation? A) It can transfer plasmid DNA that has been integrated into the main chromosome. B) It involves the reciprocal exchange of DNA between cells. C) It is never affected by plasmids. D) It requires meiosis before sex pili form. E) It involves a conjugation tube.

Sourav PanDecember 7, 2024

Answered

The correct answer is A) It can transfer plasmid DNA that has been integrated into the main chromosome.

Here’s an explanation for each option:

• A) It can transfer plasmid DNA that has been integrated into the main chromosome: This is true. Plasmids can integrate into the bacterial chromosome, and conjugation can transfer this integrated plasmid DNA, along with adjacent chromosomal DNA, to the recipient cell. This process is known as Hfr (high-frequency recombination) conjugation.
• B) It involves the reciprocal exchange of DNA between cells: This is false. Bacterial conjugation is unidirectional, meaning that DNA is transferred from the donor cell to the recipient cell, not in both directions. The donor does not receive DNA back from the recipient.
• C) It is never affected by plasmids: This is false. Plasmids are often central to the process of bacterial conjugation. In many cases, conjugation involves the transfer of plasmid DNA from the donor to the recipient.
• D) It requires meiosis before sex pili form: This is false. Meiosis is a process involved in sexual reproduction of eukaryotes, not in bacterial conjugation. Bacterial conjugation does not involve meiosis, and the formation of sex pili is a separate process that occurs directly between bacterial cells.
• E) It involves a conjugation tube: This is false. The structure used in conjugation is typically a pilus, not a conjugation tube. The pilus connects the donor and recipient cells, allowing for the transfer of genetic material.