Final answer:
The three main types of horizontal gene transfer that can spread antibiotic resistance among bacteria are transformation, where environmental DNA is taken up; transduction, where a virus transfers DNA; and conjugation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance can happen through various mechanisms among prokaryotes, like bacteria.
These mechanisms include transformation, transduction, and conjugation.
- In transformation, cells take up DNA from the environment. This DNA may have been shed by other prokaryotes and becomes assimilated into the cell's genome, potentially conferring new traits such as antibiotic resistance.
- Conjugation refers to the transfer of genetic material through a pilus from one cell to another. During this process, a cytoplasmic bridge is formed after a conjugation pilus draws the two cells close enough, allowing the transfer of DNA such as plasmids that may carry antibiotic resistance genes.
- During transduction, a bacteriophage, which is a virus that infects bacteria, inadvertently introduces new DNA into a bacterium's genome. This genetic material originates from another bacterium and could include antibiotic resistance genes.
The question relates to the matching of each type of horizontal gene transfer to its correct description. Here are the correct matches:
- Cells take up DNA from the environment - Transformation.
- Cells transfer genetic material through a pilus to another cell - Conjugation.
- Virus inadvertently introduces new DNA into a genome - Transduction.