A harmless bacterium takes up loose DNA lying in its surroundings and turns pathogenic. Which process is this?

1. In transformation a prokaryote takes in DNA found in its environment, shed by other prokaryotes. 2. If that DNA carries a toxin gene from a pathogen and is incorporated into the chromosome, the recipient may become pathogenic. 3. Conjugation needs a pilus to bring two living cells into contact, which the scenario does not describe. 4. Transduction needs a bacteriophage to carry the DNA, and no virus appears here. 5. Binary fission only copies what a cell already has, so it cannot add a new gene. _Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.2 Structure of Prokaryotes_