Final answer:
Transformation in bacteria results in the uptake of DNA, leading to potential pathogenicity, production of different proteins like insulin, and increased genetic diversity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The transformation of bacteria involves the uptake of DNA from the environment, which can lead to various outcomes.
- Genetic material that could make a non-pathogenic bacterium pathogenic, as seen in the 1928 Griffith's transformation experiments with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- The ability to produce different proteins by taking up DNA, which makes bacteria useful in scientific applications such as the mass production of insulin.
- New traits that increase genetic diversity within bacterial populations, potentially contributing to evolution through genetic change.
Through transformation, bacteria can take up any DNA, such as the human gene for insulin, which the bacteria use to produce the insulin protein for treating patients. This makes transformation an essential tool for biotechnology and medicine.