Final answer:
Specialized transduction involves the transfer of specific bacterial genes adjacent to the integration site of a lysogenic phage, using a defective virus that packages bacterial DNA into its capsid during induction.
Step-by-step explanation:
Specialized transduction refers to the process where bacterial DNA is transferred by a bacteriophage from one bacterium to another. This type of transduction is characterized by the transfer of specific pieces of bacterial chromosomal DNA that are located adjacent to the site where the lysogenic phage has integrated into the host's genome. During the process known as induction, sometimes triggered by factors such as ultraviolet light exposure, the prophage is excised imprecisely, resulting in a piece of host DNA being packaged into the viral capsid alongside phage DNA. The bacteriophage then infects a new host, carrying with it the excised DNA, which can integrate into the new host's genome. Specialized transduction thus involves the transfer of a few specific genes, utilizes a defective virus, and only involves genes near the viral DNA integration site.