Question

Virus mediated transfer of host DNA from one cell to another cell is known as:

• A. Transduction
• B. Integration
• C. Transformation
• D. Transcription

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The correct option is (A): Transduction.

Answer 2

The question is about the name given to the process by which a virus carries DNA from one host cell to another. Let's check each option against what actually happens during this process.

1. Transduction: This is the process where a bacteriophage (a virus that infects bacteria) accidentally packages a piece of host bacterial DNA into its protein coat during replication, then injects that DNA into a new host cell when it infects it. This is exactly the virus-mediated transfer of DNA described in the question.
2. Integration: This refers to a piece of DNA, such as a viral genome or plasmid, becoming inserted into a host chromosome. It describes where DNA ends up, not how it travels from one cell to another, so it does not fit here.
3. Transformation: This is the uptake of free, naked DNA directly from the surrounding environment by a competent bacterial cell. No virus is involved at all, so this does not match the question.
4. Transcription: This is the process of copying a DNA sequence into RNA inside a cell. It has nothing to do with moving DNA between two different cells.

Only transduction specifically involves a virus acting as the vehicle that carries host DNA from one cell into another.

Therefore, the correct answer is Transduction.