Suppose it is observed that a small section of a microorganism's chromosome varies significantly in GC content from the majority of the chromosome.What likely caused this?

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Horizontal gene transfer, which is the movement of genetic material between different organisms, can introduce DNA sequences with different GC content into the recipient organism's chromosome. This can explain why a small section of a microorganism's chromosome may have a significantly different GC content compared to the rest of the chromosome. Spontaneous mutations (A) and induced mutations (B) are unlikely to cause such a significant variation in GC content over a small section of the chromosome. Vertical gene transfer (D) is the transfer of genetic material from parent to offspring and would not cause a sudden change in GC content over a small section of the chromosome. Site-directed mutagenesis (E) is a laboratory technique and not a natural process that would occur in a microorganism.

Suppose It Is Observed That a Small Section of a Microorganism's