Plasmids

A plasmid is a small DNA molecule within a cell that is physically separated from a chromosomal DNA and can replicate independently. They are most commonly found in bacteria as small, circular, double-stranded DNA molecules; however, plasmids are sometimes present in archaea and eukaryotic organisms. In nature, plasmids often carry genes that may benefit the survival of the organism, for example antibiotic resistance. While the chromosomes are big and contain all the essential information for living, plasmids usually are very small and contain only additional information. Artificial plasmids are widely used as vectors in molecular cloning, serving to drive the replication of recombinant DNA sequences within host organisms.
Plasmids are considered replicons, a unit of DNA capable of replicating autonomously within a suitable host. However, plasmids, like viruses, are not generally classified as life.[1] Plasmids can be transmitted from one bacterium to another (even of another species) via three main mechanisms: transformation, transduction, and conjugation. 


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