Horizontal gene transfer in evolution

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/horizontal-gene-transfer-in-evolution

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary domains of HGT?Most prevalent in Bacteria and Archaea, but also occurs in Eukaryotes
2. What is the biotechnological relevance?Potential for engineered gene transfer in areas like bioremediation and crop improvement
3. What is horizontal gene transfer?It is when genetic information jumps from one organism to another that are not parent and child. This can happen between very different kinds of life, like bacteria and plants.
4. How does horizontal gene transfer affect evolution?It gives organisms new genes that can help them survive or grow faster. Because genes can move between different species, the usual tree‑like picture of evolution becomes more tangled.

Reticulate Evolution: Evolutionary history characterized by merging lineages through gene transfer, rather than a simple branching tree.
Bacteriophage: A type of virus that specifically infects and replicates within bacteria.
Plasmid: A small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule that is distinct from a cell's chromosomal DNA.