Apart from genomic DNA there is another smaller DNA found in many bacterial cells.Describe its structure and role in a bacterial cell
Answers
The DNA of most bacteria is contained in a single circular molecule, called the bacterial chromosome. The chromosomeA structure within the cell nucleus made of a single coiled piece of DNA that contains the genetic blueprint of an organism., along with several proteins and RNA molecules, forms an irregularly shaped structure called the nucleoid. This sits in the cytoplasm of the bacterial cell.
In addition to the chromosome, bacteria often contain plasmids – small circular DNA molecules. Bacteria can pick up new plasmids from other bacterial cells (during conjugation) or from the environment. They can also readily lose them – for instance, when a bacterium divides in two, one of the daughter cells might miss out on getting a plasmid.
Every plasmid has its own ‘origin of replication’ – a stretch of DNA that ensures it gets replicated (copied) by the host bacterium. For this reason, plasmids can copy themselves independently of the bacterial chromosome, so there can be many copies of a plasmid – even hundreds – within one bacterial cell.
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Plasmids in biotech – delivering DNA.
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