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Describe The Relationship Between Bacteria And Phage

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Transduction is a method of transferring genes among bacteria via virus particles, which can be divided into two categories known as generalized and specialized transduction. During the lytic cycle, which quickly replicates phages and eventually releases them, ultimately killing the host cell, generalized transduction occurs. In generalized transduction, bacterial DNA is transferred from one cell to another by means of a bacteriophage. The phage first attaches to the bacterial host cell, and releases its nucleic acid in to the host cell, where host DNA is broken down. Phage protein coats (capsids) are formed in the cell, containing not only phage DNA, but mistakenly the bacterial host cells DNA as well. After the newly formed phages are released, the bacterial DNA …show more content…

In specialized transduction only a few specific genes are transferred from bacterial cells. This begins with a bacteriophage attaching and releasing its nucleic acids into the bacterial host cell, and integrates to a specific site in the host cells chromosome. Transducing particles are now produced, although these particles are defective, as they do not contain the entire phage genome. However they can still infect other cells. The transducing particles containing bacterial and phage DNA, once again find a new bacterial host cell as a recipient and integrate this new DNA into the recipient cell. Both methods involve the transfer of information via a bacteriophage from cell to cell, and result in a recombinant cell, which has a different genotype than the recipient cell. Also, the transducing particles formed in both methods are defective and must find a new host cell. Although generalized and specialized transductions have similarities they do also have key differences. In generalized transduction any part of the bacterial DNA (random fragments) may be misplaced into the newly formed transducing

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