Transduction vs. transformation vs. conjugation
A bacterium gains an antibiotic resistance gene that a bacteriophage carried from another bacterium. This is:
Answer A: explanation for every choice
A
Correct. Transduction is gene transfer by a virus.
B
Transformation is uptake of free DNA from the environment.
C
Conjugation is direct DNA transfer between bacteria through a pilus.
D
Binary fission is asexual reproduction, not gene transfer.
TakeawayTransformation: free DNA. Transduction: by a virus. Conjugation: through a pilus.
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Reviewed 2026-11-05 by a medical student. Spot an error? Report it with question ID bb81.