Why are bacteria able to share their genes with each other, similar to how children share toys, but humans can’t do the same? What makes bacteria unique in this regard ?

Question

I understand that there are several challenges associated with horizontal gene transfer, including the risk of the transferred genes causing life threating diseases. Eukaryotes, like humans, have mechanisms to control gene transfer. Why can’t these mechanisms prevent the transfer of harmful genes and allow for beneficial horizontal gene transfer? Why haven’t humans developed this feature through evolution? Could we see this feature in future human generations( after a few billion years)?

Note: There are a few studies that talks about HGT in humans.

In: Biology

Answer 1

First and foremost, they’re unicellular. That’s sort of a big point.

So what if one of few billion cells in a human body catches some foreign DNA? But if you only have the one, it matters.

Two, unlike eukaryotes (us) who have their DNA safely put away in the nucleus, bacterial DNA sort of floats there, easily accessible. That makes both cutting bits out and inserting bits much easier, making the HGT much more likely to occur.