Final answer:
Conjugation is the type of DNA uptake in bacteria that involves transferable plasmids, enabling the spread of genetic material such as antibiotic resistance genes between bacteria.
Step-by-step explanation:
The type of DNA uptake that is dependent on transferable plasmids is conjugation. During conjugation, DNA is passed from one bacterium to another using a mating bridge, or pilus. This allows for the direct transfer of genetic material, which may include plasmids that often carry antibiotic resistance genes. This mechanism is distinctly different from transformation, where bacteria pick up DNA from their environment, and transduction, where a bacteriophage injects bacterial DNA from one cell to another. Thus, when discussing horizontal gene transfer that involves plasmids and the spread of antibiotic resistance within a bacterial population, conjugation is the key process.