Re: Mara -- reply to come -- now, here
Posted by mara on Jul 02, 2002 at 12:50
(170.115.180.227)Re: Mara -- reply to come -- now, here (Ben)
'Lateral Gene Transfer', as Ben has noted is not a new idea.
when i was in school, one of the ways that there was transfer of material between bacteria was by 'conjugation'.
'conjugation' involved an "F" factor, which was called a fertility factor. (some of the more immature in the class [there were only a few] said that this was the only way that bacteria could have sex, since they usually reproduced by fission.)
'transduction' was another means of lateral gene transfer.
there was also a third way, but i don't remember the name of it.also, Mr. Woese had theorized that the three kinds of bacteria had originated from a 'progenor'.