Pilus (plural: pili): a thin tube-like structure that forms between two bacterialplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigBacteria: Single-celled organisms that also utilize DNA and the standard genetic code as all organisms on earth, but unlike eukaryotes do not have intracellular membranes and membrane-bound organelles. In this book we use bacteria and prokaryote interchangeably. cells used to transfer genetic material (such as F plasmidsplugin-autotooltip__default plugin-autotooltip_bigF: “F” can have several different related definitions:

* An F plasmid is a type of naturally occurring low copy number plasmid in E. coli that can move from one host cell to another via conjugation, a type of sex in bacteria (“F” stands for fertility). F plasmids) between cells.