Transfer of genetic information from one bacterium to another in the transduction process is through:

1. Physical contact between donor and recipient strains
2. Conjugation between opposite strain bacterium
3. Bacteriophages released from the donor’s bacterial strain
4. Another bacterium having special organ for conjugation

Do explain your answer.

Transduction is the process in which the gene is transferred into the bacterial cell with the help of the phage. When the phage attacks the bacterial cell, the phage DNA gets incorporated into bacterial genome (prophage), replicates and forms new viral particles. During this process, some of the bacteriophages may contain the bacterial genes which on the second round of infection will be transferred to the other bacterium.