Question

Describe briefly various methods of reproduction in bacteria and also the mechanism of transformation.

Answer 1

Hint: Bacteria is the unicellular organisms belong the group prokaryotes, they lack a true nucleus, and most of the bacteria reproduce by asexual reproduction only, and sexual reproduction does not occur, but the process which is equivalent to this happens called recombination occurs in bacteria.

Complete answer:
Bacterial recombination is usually carried out in three ways.
> Transformation: In this type, DNA forms the capsulated bacteria and it is converted to non capsulated bacteria.
> Transduction: In this type, DNA is transferred from one bacteria to other bacteria with the help of bacteriophage, which occurs in the different species of bacteria, for example, Escherichia, salmonella, and micrococcus.
> Conjugation: Bacterial conjugation is the transfer of genetic material from one bacterial cell to another by bacteria with direct cell to cell contact or by the formation of a bridge-like structure.
The concept of bacterial conjugation is that plasmid or any other genetic material is transferred from a donor bacterial cell to recipient bacteria.
Among all conjugation plasmid F ( fertility) plasmid is the first discovered in Escherichia coli and done studies on it.
The bacteria which contain F factor are called F +ve and they are donors, while the bacteria where F the factor is absent and are considered as recipients.
This transfer sometimes takes place with the help of sex pilus.
This type of conjugation occurs in many gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria.
Though these all are the Asexual type of reproduction, some genetic transformation and combinations happen which mimics sexual reproduction.

Note:
Apart from the all above given types, some bacteria reproduce by budding, where parent cells split into daughter cells, and in some reproduction occurs by the formation of endospores. But conjugation is the major way for the genetic transfer in bacteria.