What is the process by which nucleic acids are transferred from viruses to cells?

• A. Transduction
• B. Transformation
• C. Translation
• D. Transcription

Answer: (A)

The process by which nucleic acids are transferred from viruses to cells is known as transduction. This mechanism occurs when a virus infects a host cell and introduces its genetic material into the host. In the case of bacteriophages, which are viruses that target bacteria, transduction can involve the accidental packaging of bacterial DNA into a virus particle during the viral replication cycle. Subsequently, when the virus infects another bacterial cell, it can inject this bacterial DNA, effectively transferring genetic information between cells.

Transformation involves the uptake of naked DNA from the environment by a cell, which is different from the viral-mediated transfer seen in transduction. Translation is the process by which ribosomes synthesize proteins based on mRNA sequences, while transcription involves the synthesis of RNA from a DNA template. Neither of these processes pertains to the transfer of nucleic acids via viruses. Thus, transduction is the correct term describing the viral transfer of genetic material to host cells.