Conjugation

Conjugation is a temporary union between two individuals of the same species, during which the two participants - called conjugants - exchange a certain amount of their nuclear material (DNA) before separating again and continuing to live independently; unlike syngamy, no permanent fusion of cells or gametes takes place, and no single new individual is directly created by the union itself. Conjugation is common among ciliates, including Paramecium and Vorticella, and is also seen among bacteria (prokaryotes), where it serves as a means of exchanging genetic material between two cells of the same species. …