Practice question
Question
Two prokaryotic cells show the following features:
Cell P is approximately 0.3 µm long and lacks a cell wall.
Cell Q contains a circular genomic DNA molecule and additional small circular DNA molecules. One of these additional molecules confers antibiotic resistance and is used to monitor the uptake of foreign DNA.
Which interpretation best explains both observations?
Explanation
Mycoplasmas are among the smallest cells, approximately 0.3 µm long, and lack a cell wall. Plasmids are small circular DNA molecules outside the bacterial genomic DNA. They can confer properties such as antibiotic resistance and help monitor transformation with foreign DNA.
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