Plasmid
* All plasmids fall into only one of the many existing incompatibility groups
  - regulate the copy number using a similar mechanism
* Describe the concept of an episome.
* Many plasmids can insert into the DNA of the nucleus, and detach from it.
* Most plasmids are also carriers of antibiotic resistance genes
  - confer antibiotic resistance
* Some plasmids are capable of integrating into the host chromosome
  - into the host genome
  - episomes
  - can transfer from cell to cell by a mechanism called conjugation
* Some plasmids carry genes for antibiotic resistance or form toxins
  - which facilitate their transfer from one cell to another
  - confer the ability to degrade organic compounds and to fix nitrogen
* act like molecular taxicabs that carry genes from one place to another.
* are DNA molecules that exist separately from the chromosome of the cell
  - a. single-stranded linear DNA molecules
  - additional small DNA molecules typical for bacteria
* are also circular
  - important as the basis of gene cloning in biotechnology
  - safer and cheaper than other vehicles for gene delivery, such as viruses
  - very useful vehicles for genetic engineering
  - an example
  - circles of DNA that are found inside bacterial cells
* are circular double-stranded DNAs
  - pieces of DNA that exist separately from the main chromosomes
  - strands of DNA present in many bacteria
  - easier to propagate and store than phages
  - extrachromosomal DNA elements
  - found in prokaryotes and yeast
  - important because they are used in genetic engineering
  - inherited
  - self-replicating in a manner like the bacterial chromosome
  - separate from the bacterial chromosome but still multiply during cell growth
  - short circular bits of DNA found naturally in bacterial cells
  - simply round pieces of genetic material independent of an organism's chromosomes
* are small circular double stranded, extrachromosomal DNA molecules
  - loops of DNA found in the cytoplasm of bacteria
  - pieces of DNA which exist outside major chromosomes
* are small, circular DNA molecules that can exist independently of the host chromosome
  - pieces of DNA lying outside the main bacterial chromosome
  - circular, extra chromosomal loops of DNA that contain a few non-essentail genes
  - extrachromosomal DNA circles
  - stable up to one year when properly stored
* are the most common type of vector
  - most-commonly used bacterial cloning vectors
  - principle tool for inserting new genetic information into microbes or plants
* can also possess information for any protein sequence
  - be tools for inserting new genetic information into micro-organisms or plants
  - multiply autonomously within the cell
* consist of DNA and some have interesting functions.
* contain multiple cloning sites that are sequences recognized by restriction endonucleases
  - only a few genes and they can be exchanged between individual bacteria
* enter the bacterial cell with relative ease.
* enters the bacteria in a process called transfection.
* frequently carry genes for antibiotic resistance.
* have the ability to replicate independently within a host.
* includes sections.
* is an inclusion body
  - inclusion bodies
* occur in bacteria, yeast, and certain more complex cell types.
* often contain antibiotic resistance genes
* replicate by a similar process
  - in the bacteria
  - independently of the genomic DNA of the bacteria
* serve as carriers of genetic information.
* usually carry one or a few genes.