Step 1: Recall the method:
Bacterial cells are treated with a divalent cation such as calcium, so that they become competent. They are incubated with the recombinant DNA on ice.
Step 2: The heat shock step:
The cells are then placed briefly at 42 degrees Celsius (heat shock) and put back on ice. This makes the DNA enter the cell.
Step 3: Why the DNA enters:
The sudden temperature change opens transient pores in the cell wall. The DNA slips in through these pores. So (C) is right.
Step 4: Check the other options:
DNA is not carried across by membrane transport proteins, so (B) is wrong. Heat shock is not about binding to the wall, so (A) is wrong. Expression of resistance genes happens later, after DNA is inside, so (D) is wrong.
Final Answer:
The correct option is (C).