Transduction (viral transmission of genetic information)
Definition
Transduction is when viruses transfer genetic information from one bacterium to another during viral replication.
Analogy
Imagine transduction as if it were an email virus. You receive an infected email (the virus), open it, and unknowingly send it on to all your contacts (other bacteria). The 'email' contains new information that changes something in each recipient's system.
Related terms
Bacteriophage: A type of virus that infects bacteria and uses them as hosts for reproduction.
Lytic Cycle: The cycle in which a virus replicates within a host cell, ultimately causing the cell's destruction.
Lysogenic Cycle: A phase in certain viruses’ life cycles where they integrate their genes into their host’s chromosome.
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