Brown BIOL1220:Notebook/SynBio in Theory and Practice/Bacterial Basics
From OpenWetWare
Bacterial Basics
Bacteria Structure
Bacteria are prokaryotic organisms. They are surrounded by a firm cell wall that helps maintain their structure. Bacteria have no nucleus; their genomic DNA is contained in the nucleoid. Bacteria also contain extrachromosomal DNA, called a plasmid. Bacteria reproduce asexually.
Different Forms of DNA Transfer
- Transformation (discussed further below)
- Transduction
- Conjugation
Bacterial Transformation
Bacterial Transformation is the process by which bacteria uptakes DNA from the media (liquid) surrounding it. The DNA can be from cells from the same species or from different species. Once taken up by bacteria, the DNA will integrate into the bacteria’s chromosome. As seen in the diagram at the right, the DNA binding complex that the free DNA passes through is contained within the bacteria’s cell wall.
