Question

I'm still a little confused what is the role of bacterial transformation. I know that when a bacterium dies it lyces and releases its DNA. Does a nearby normal cell take in the bacterium's DNA or does only another bacterium accept the dead bacterium's DNA?

Answer 1

Here is what I was able to find here http://plato.acadiau.ca/courses/biol/Microbiology/transfer.htm:
Transformation

After death or cell lyses, some bacteria release their DNA into the environment.
Other bacteria, generally of the same species, can come into contact with these fragments, take them up and incorporate them into their DNA by recombination.
This method of transfer is the process of transformation.
Any DNA that is not integrated into he chromosome will be degraded.
The genetically transformed cell is called a recombinant cell because it has a different genetic makeup than the donar and the recipient.
All of the descendants of the recombinant cell will be identical to it.
In this way, recombination can give rise to genetic diversity in the population.

Hope this helps :)

Answer 2

Thanks for the help that makes since you must be some sort biology guru

Answer 3

:) I wouldn't go that far but thanks for the compliment