If bacteria only reproduce asexually, how can they transfer genes?

Explain what methods and how it is accomplished.

If bacteria only reproduce asexually, how can they transfer genes?
it is called lateral or horizontal gene tranfer. Basically two bacteria join, exchange genetic material, separate. Result two bacteria each of which has now different genetic material than they had before having sex. Can only work in unicellular organisms.


Look up more on the web or in your text book
Reply:Um....when they REPRODUCE they create a complete COPY of themselves....GENETICALLY! DUH!
Reply:They don't just reproduce asexually. They do pair up and swap genes as well. It's more of a merging than sex, as such.
Reply:i no that i just dunno how to explain it wish i could be of more help but id say ud find out moer about it if you googled it bit by bit
Reply:It's called conjunction. One bacteria uses a "sex pilus" to inject some DNA into another bacteria, thus they transfer genes. (and as someone else pointed out, that's called horizontal gene transfer)


There is another way that genes can get to one bacterium to another, and that's transduction. That is where a bacteria gets DNA from a bacteriophage, a virus that can pick up DNA from one cell and give it to another.

yoga