Conjugation involves:

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To begin, let’s map what each option implies about conjugation versus other genetic exchange processes in bacteria.
Option 1: 'Uptake of naked DNA' describes transformation, not conjugation. In transformation, bacteria take up free DNA from the environment, typically after cell lysis, without direct cell-to-cell contact. This is distinct from conjugation, which relies on physical linkage between donor and recipient cells.
Option 2: 'Transfer of resistance via a virus' refers to transduction, where bacteriophages carry genetic material from one bacterium to another. This process is mediated by viruses and does not require direct cell pairing or mating-like contact between the bacterial cells.
Option 3: 'Gene transfer requiring cell-to-cell contact' is the hallmark of conjugation. It involves direct contact between donor and recipient cells, often mediated by a pilus or mating bridge, through which DNA (such as plasmids) is transferred.
Option 4: 'Random mutations in bacteria' describe spontaneous genetic changes within a single organism’s genome, not a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer between cells. Conjugation is an active transfer event, not a random mutational process.
Thus, by process of elimination and the defining feature of conjugation, option 3 is the correct description of conjugation.

Conjugation involves:

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