Question

The process, which involves the recombination of genetic material between bacteria and viruses as a result of the transfer of extracellular pieces of DNA that are taken up by a living bacteria, is known as ______.
A. Sexduction
B. Transformation
C. Conjugation
D. Transduction

Answer 1

Hint: This process is quite similar to ordinary conjugation transfer. It is also known as F-duction. F-duction is a method of reproduction wherein the genes that are carried within the bacterial sex element (F′ plasmid), recombine with the bacterial chromosome.

Complete answer: Sexduction occurs during the phenomenon of conjugation, which in turn is a special case of transfer of genes from a male bacterial cell (the donor) to a female bacterial cell (the recipient).
1. Sexduction is realized by the F factor, which is released independently from a bacterial chromosome alongside a fraction of the chromosome.
2. During sexduction, both the factor and chromosome fragment are passed on to the recipient cell, on the other hand, during any ordinary conjugation the F factor, which is incorporated within a chromosome, seldom passes into the recipient cell.
3. As a result of sexduction, the cells acquire the properties of the donor cells, that is, the power to affect both sexduction and therefore the transfer of a bacterial chromosome during future conjugations.

So, the correct answer is option A. Sexduction.

Note: The cells become diploids with reference to the genes contained within the transferred fragment and acquire the characteristic peculiar to diploids of interaction between homologous genes. The steadiness of fractional diploids varies with the dimensions of the transferred chromosomal fragment.