key term - Transformation (uptake of naked DNA)

Definition

Transformation is a process where a bacterial cell takes up and incorporates foreign DNA from its surroundings into its own genetic material.

Related terms

Plasmid:

A small, circular piece of DNA located in the cytoplasm of many bacteria that can replicate independently of the chromosomes.

Competent Cells: Bacterial cells that are able to take up naked DNA. This ability may be natural or induced by laboratory procedures.

Genetic Recombination: The process by which a strand of genetic material (usually DNA; but can also be RNA) is broken and then joined to a different DNA molecule.