Written By: Plasmid, in microbiology, an extrachromosomal genetic element that occurs in many bacterial strains. Plasmids are circular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) molecules that replicate independently of the bacterial chromosome. They are not essential for the bacterium but may confer a selective advantage.
A gnat /ËnÃ¦t/ is any of many species of tiny flying insects in the Dipterid suborder Nematocera, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae, Anisopodidae and Sciaridae. They can be both biting and non-biting. Most often they fly in large flocks resembling clouds.
Maggot is a generic term referring to the larvae of dipteran flies, such as common houseflies, bluebottles and blowflies. Such flies are characterized by small bodies and small antenna. For this reason, maggots typically look the same regardless of species. Mosquitos and tsetse fly larvae, for example, are not classed ...