What is the process called where one bacterium connects to another through a pilus to transfer genes?

The process where one bacterium connects to another through a pilus to transfer genes is known as conjugation. This mechanism of genetic exchange is crucial in bacterial evolution and adaptation. During conjugation, a donor bacterium extends a pilus, a hair-like appendage, to establish a direct connection with a recipient bacterium. Through this connection, genetic material, often in the form of plasmids, is transferred from the donor to the recipient, which can confer new traits or enhance the recipient's capabilities, like antibiotic resistance. Conjugation is a significant method of horizontal gene transfer among bacteria, significantly impacting their genetic diversity and adaptability.

In contrast to conjugation, transformation involves the uptake of free DNA from the environment by a bacterium, while transduction describes gene transfer via bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria). Mutation refers to changes in the DNA sequence within a single organism, rather than the transfer of genetic material between organisms. Each of these processes plays different roles in microbial genetics, but conjugation is specifically characterized by the direct transfer of genes through a pilus.