Microbial
/
Microorganism
Genetics
During
last
twenty
five
years
or
so,
there
has
been
a
dramatic
increase
in
our
knowledge
of
the
mechanisms
that
determine
the
characteristics
of
the
microorganisms.
What
we
know
indeed
of
the
structure
and
organisation
of
DNA,
has
been
possible
only
through
the
work
on
microbial
genetics,
particularly
of
bacteria
and
fungi.
Microbes
have
proved
ideal
organisms
of
study
in
molecular
biology.
We
now
understand
the
functioning
of
genome
at
molecular
level
and
making
efforts
to
manipulate
cells
for
improving
their
specific
desired
properties.
This
has
resulted
into
a
new
phase
of
exploiting
bacteria
and
fungi
in
industry
i.e.
in
biotechnology.
The
hereditary
characteristics
are
coded
on
DNA,
in
discrete
units
genes.
During
cell
division,
DNA
replication
occurs,
for
which
decoding
of
the
genes
is
carried
out
in
two
steps
called
transcription
and
translation
giving
rise
to
the
polymers
of
RNA
and
protein
respectively.
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