alleryStart learning →Bacteriophages shuttle genes between bacteria. What is the equivalent situation in archaea?
AArchaea have their own viruses instead
BArchaea are infected by the same phages
CArchaea exchange no genetic material
DArchaea use only binary fission for this
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Archaea have their own viruses instead
1. Bacteriophages infect bacteria, and transduction depends on them.
2. Archaea are not affected by bacteriophages, so that route is closed to them.
3. Archaea instead have their own viruses, which translocate genetic material between individuals.
4. Gene exchange therefore does happen in archaea, which rules out the third option.
5. Binary fission produces clones and cannot move genes between separate individuals.
6. The trap in the second option is assuming one virus group infects both domains.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 22 "Prokaryotes: Bacteria and Archaea", section 22.2 Structure of Prokaryotes_
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