Horizontal Acquisition of Genetic Information

Definition

This is a process where an organism incorporates genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism. It's also known as lateral gene transfer.

Analogy

Imagine you're at a potluck dinner and you try someone else's dish that you really like. You ask for the recipe, they give it to you, and now you can make that dish too, even though it wasn't originally yours. That's similar to how horizontal acquisition works; organisms can "share recipes" (genes) with each other.

Related terms

Vertical Gene Transfer: The transmission of DNA from parent to offspring.

Transformation: A type of horizontal gene transfer in which naked DNA is taken up by a bacterial cell.

Conjugation: A form of sexual reproduction in some bacteria where one bacterium transfers its genetic material to another bacterium via direct contact.