Name the process by which bacteria acquire genetic material from their environment.

The process by which bacteria acquire genetic material from their environment is known as transformation. This mechanism allows bacteria to take up free DNA from their surroundings, which can originate from other cells that have lysed and released their genetic material. Once inside a competent bacterium, this genetic material can recombine with the bacterium's own DNA, potentially imparting new traits, such as antibiotic resistance, metabolic capabilities, or virulence factors.

Transformation is significant in microbial genetics and contributes to horizontal gene transfer, a vital factor in the evolution and adaptation of bacterial populations. It contrasts with transduction, which involves the transfer of genetic material via bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria), and conjugation, which requires direct contact between bacteria for the transfer of plasmid DNA through pili. Replication, on the other hand, refers to the process of copying DNA during cell division, not acquiring new genetic material.