Answer: false, lateral gene transfer can occur in bacteria apart from sexual reproduction
Explanation:
Lateral gene transfer also known as Horizontal gene transfer occurs in bacteria of same species via the following methods;
1. Transformation: the genetic alteration of a cell resulting from the introduction, uptake and expression of foreign genetic material (DNA or RNA). This process is very common in bacteria. Transformation is often used in laboratories to insert novel genes into bacteria for experiments or for industrial or medical applications.
2. Transduction: this is aprocess in which bacterial DNA is moved from one bacterium to another by a virus (a bacteriophage, or phage).
3. Bacterial conjugation: this is a process that involves the transfer of DNA via a plasmid from a donor cell to a recombinant recipient cell during cell-to-cell contact.
4. Gene transfer agents:
Sexual reproduction is also a very prominent way of gene transfer in bacteria
Mutations and adaptations such as resistance to bacteria can be transferred via sexual reproduction and Lateral gene transfer.
Lastly, gene transfer for traits such as bacteria resistance to antibiotics are done solely in the plasmid. In nature, plasmids often carry genes that benefit the survival of the organism, such as by providing antibiotic resistance.
