Back نقل الجينات الأفقي Arabic Хоризонтален генен трансфер Bulgarian Transferència horitzontal de gens Catalan Horizontální přenos genetické informace Czech Генсем горизонталлĕ куçни CV Horisontal genoverførsel Danish Horizontaler Gentransfer German Οριζόντια μεταφορά γονιδίων Greek Horizontal gene transfer English Transferencia genética horizontal Spanish
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) (or Lateral gene transfer) is how an organism gets genetic material from another organism without being the offspring of that organism.
By contrast, vertical transfer occurs when an organism gets genetic material from its ancestor, e.g., its parent or a species from which it has evolved.
Most thinking in genetics has focused on vertical transfer, but horizontal gene transfer is also important.[1] Amongst single-celled organisms it may be the dominant form of genetic transfer. Artificial horizontal gene transfer may be used as a type of genetic engineering.