“What is the difference between transformation and transfection?”
Not much, really. Although it’s not just a matter of semantics, the difference is very subtle.
Transformation in cloning is the process in which a cell “takes up” exogenous DNA from its surroundings through its cell membrane. If the cell later goes on to express this uptaken genetic material, it is said to be transformed. However, the term transformation in this sense is restricted only to unicellular organisms – prokaryotes like bacteria and certain eukaryotes like amoeba. This happens naturally in bacteria like E. Coli and is therefore employed during cloning of a certain gene.
Transfection is the exact same process of introducing foreign genetic material into cells. But the terminology is restricted to cells from multicellular eukaryotes (metazoa).
Why the complication? Because transformation in metazoans like us refers to something that happens in cancer. In multicellular eukaryotes, when a cell is transformed it means that it has gone from being non-cancerous to cancerous – basically, a few changes have occured in this cell that it can escape normal checkpoints and go on to cause cancer and is therefore transformed.
I know it’s kind of confusing. So, I have made a table, which I hope is a bit more clarifying.
| Cloning (uptake of genetic material) | Cancer | |
| Transformation | Transfection | Transformation |
| In unicellular Organisms like prokaryotes (bacteria), orunicellular eukaryotes (amoeba) | In Metazoan Eukaryotic Cells | Advancement of a metazoan eukaryotic cell from being non-cancerous to cancerous |
Thank you for clarification!It saved me time to serach for the answer.
shared to my bio gr 12 class
(1st comment!..)