Question

in selecting recombinant bacteria, cells are chosen that are resistant to a specific antibiotic. how are the bacteria made resistant? group of answer choices the antibiotic resistance gene is encoded on the donor insert. they are pre-selected for the experiment on this basis. the antibiotic resistance gene is encoded in the vector. resistance is activated by the recombination event. resistance is activated when the cells are provided with the antibiotic

Answer 1

Recombinant bacteria are selected based on their resistance to specific antibiotics, which they gain through the incorporation of an antibiotic resistance gene present in the plasmid vector used during transformation.

Therefore, the correct answer is: option "the antibiotic resistance gene is encoded in the vector."

Step-by-step explanation:

In selecting recombinant bacteria, cells that are resistant to a specific antibiotic are chosen because they have been genetically engineered to include an antibiotic resistance gene. This gene is usually part of the plasmid vector that is introduced into the bacteria during the process of transformation.

For example, the plasmid vector pBR322 contains genes for resistance to antibiotics such as ampicillin and tetracycline. When bacteria take up this plasmid, they inherit the resistance properties.

Therefore, by growing the transformed bacteria on a medium that contains the antibiotic (like ampicillin), only those bacteria which have taken up the plasmid and express the resistance gene will survive, allowing researchers to select for the recombinant bacteria.