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Bacterial Conjugation

Topic

  • Cell Biology
  • Cell Communication
  • Microbiology
  • Bacteria

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Animations

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:00:23
Saved By
9 Users
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Description

This animation shows how bacteria can transfer genes to each other.

As shown in the animation, a bacterium can directly transfer genetic material to another bacterium using a structure called a pilus. This cell-to-cell transfer process, called conjugation, helps antibiotic resistance genes spread quickly throughout a bacterial population.

This animation is a clip from a 1999 Holiday Lecture Series, 2000 and Beyond: Confronting the Microbe Menace. Depending on students’ background, it may be helpful to pause the animation at various points to discuss different features.

Key Terms

antibiotic resistance, cell signaling, horizontal gene transfer, infectious disease, pilus

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 02.05.99

Materials

Large (MOV) 0.8 MB
Large (WMV) 0.8 MB
Small (MOV) 0.4 MB
Small (WMV) 0.4 MB
Transcript (PDF) 10 KB

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