Final answer:
The interrupted mating technique shows that genes are transferred from donor to recipient bacteria in a linear fashion based on the time of contact, allowing the linear order of genes on the chromosome to be determined.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question about the interrupted mating technique is C) Genes are transferred from the donor to the recipient in a linear fashion based upon time of contact. This method is a classical technique used to map the order of genes on a bacterial chromosome. An Hfr cell (high frequency of recombination cell) which contains chromosomal DNA integrated with an F (fertility) plasmid, tries to transfer this genetic material to an F- (F minus) cell when the two come into contact through a pilus.
Contact during conjugation is temporary, meaning that the entire chromosome is unlikely to be transferred before mating is disrupted. Genes closer to the origin of transfer, which is the integration site of the F plasmid, tend to be transferred earlier than genes farther away. Thus, genes are transferred in a sequence, depending on their proximity to the origin of transfer, and this sequence can be determined by interrupting the mating at various times and observing which genes have been successfully transferred.
Using different Hfr strains that begin the transfer of genes at different locations, scientists can construct a detailed gene map of the bacterial chromosome. This technique has been instrumental in understanding gene order and chromosome structure before the advent of genome sequencing technologies.