transduction

1 (genetics) the process of transfering genetic material from one cell to another by a plasmid or bacteriophage

2 the process whereby a transducer accepts energy in one form and gives back related energy in a different form; "the transduction of acoustic waves into voltages by a microphone"

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ʌkʃən

Noun

1. The transfer of genetic material from one bacterial cell to another by a bacteriophage or plasmid
2. The process whereby a transducer converts energy from one form to another
3. The conversion of a stimulus from one form to another
4. The conversion of energy (especially light energy) into another form, especially in a biological process such as photosynthesis
5. A form of inference involving reasoning from one specific case to another (compare induction)

The word transduction has several meanings:

• In biophysics, transduction is the conveyance of energy from one electron (a donor) to another (a receptor), at the same time that the class of energy changes.
• In cell biology, signal transduction is any process by which a cell converts one kind of signal or stimulus into another.
• In developmental psychology, transduction is reasoning from specific cases to specific cases, typically employed by children.
• In mechanical and electrical engineering, transduction is a process that converts one type of energy to another. A device that does this is called a transducer.
• In cybernetics and systems engineering, notably in the Viable System Model, transduction is a process or mechanism that converts signals from one form to another.
• In genetics, transduction is the transfer of viral, bacterial, or both bacterial and viral DNA from one cell to another via bacteriophage.
• In machine learning, transduction is directly drawing conclusions about new data from previous data, without constructing a model.
• In physiology, transduction is transportation of stimuli to the nervous system.
• In semiotics, transduction is the translation from a sign or concept from one field of knowledge to a different one, involving a transformation that keeps an original connection in its phenomenological deepest level. It differs from "traduction" with regard to its necessity of adaptation.