How can bacteria exchange genetic material?

Bacteria can exchange genetic material through several mechanisms, primarily transformation, transduction, and conjugation. Transformation involves the uptake of naked DNA from the environment by a competent bacterial cell, allowing it to incorporate new genetic material into its own genome. Transduction is a process where bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) carry DNA from one bacterium to another during the infection process, facilitating genetic exchange. This ability to share genetic material increases genetic diversity in bacterial populations, which can lead to the development of new traits such as antibiotic resistance.

While mutation involves changes to a bacterium's own DNA, it does not constitute a mechanism for exchanging genetic material with other bacteria. Binary fission is the primary method of bacterial reproduction and cell division, not a method of genetic exchange. Direct contact between bacteria—typically through a process called conjugation—does facilitate genetic exchange, but this is just one method among several, making it less comprehensive than the correct choice that includes both transformation and transduction.