Horizontal Gene Transfer
The movement of genetic material between organisms other than by parent-to-offspring inheritance. Common in bacteria, it allows rapid acquisition of new traits like antibiotic resistance.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 3 chapters:
"...ferent environmental conditions. Sexual reproduction mixes genetic material to create diversity. Asexual reproduction clones proven designs rapidly. Horizontal gene transfer - acquiring capabilities from unrelated species - allows organisms to absorb DNA from their environment."
"Chapter 5's DNA replication showed asexual reproduction (franchising) creates identical copies. Sexual reproduction (M&A) creates recombination. Horizontal gene transfer (copying competitors) creates borrowed variation. Use all three mechanisms to generate variants. Step 2: Identify Selection Pressure A regional..."
"...also evolvable - some organisms have high recombination (most sexual species), others suppress it (asexual lineages, regions near centromeres). 5. Horizontal gene transfer: Bacteria and archaea acquire genes from other individuals or species through transformation (uptake of environmental DNA), conjugation (direct tra..."
Biological Context
Unlike vertical inheritance (parent to child), horizontal transfer moves genes between unrelated organisms. Bacteria share genes via plasmids, enabling rapid adaptation. This complicates simple phylogenetic trees and explains why antibiotic resistance spreads so quickly.
Business Application
Business horizontal transfer includes acquiring companies for their capabilities, hiring talent from competitors, and licensing technology. It enables rapid capability acquisition without building from scratch.