Final answer:
Transduction is the process by which a bacteriophage transfers DNA from one bacterium to another, which can lead to horizontal gene transfer within bacterial populations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The introduction of genetic material by an infectious bacteriophage is called transduction. During this process, viruses known as bacteriophages can transfer genetic material from one bacterium to another. This can occur through two main types of transduction: generalized and specialized. In generalized transduction, a random piece of bacterial DNA is transferred during the viral assembly process when the phage accidentally packages bacterial chromosomal DNA into a viral capsid. Specialized transduction happens due to the imprecise excision of a prophage from a bacterial genome, resulting in the transfer of specific bacterial DNA linked to the prophage's integration site. Consequently, the receiving bacterium may acquire new, sometimes beneficial traits like antibiotic resistance, a process crucial in horizontal gene transfer within bacterial populations.