Final answer:
A mob plasmid can indeed transfer by itself through the process of bacterial conjugation, where genetic material is exchanged between cells, often imparting new traits such as antibiotic resistance.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability of a mob plasmid to transfer by itself is True. This process, known as bacterial conjugation, involves the transfer of genetic material between bacterial cells via direct contact. A donor cell that possesses a plasmid forms an F pilus, or sex pilus, and attaches to a recipient cell. The plasmids can then be transferred to the recipient cell, often providing new genetic traits such as antibiotic resistance.
Specifically, during bacterial conjugation, one outcome is that one of two semi-conservatively replicated F plasmids remains in the donor cell, while the other is transferred to the recipient cell, turning the recipient into a new F+ donor cell. This genetic transfer greatly contributes to genetic variation in bacterial populations and has significant implications in the fields of medicine and biotechnology.