Why are plasmids used in recombinant DNA technology?

Plasmids are considered to be replicons. These are units of DNA that are capable of replicating autonomously within a suitable host. Their automatic replicating power makes plasmids very useful for the purpose of creating identical copies of a piece of DNA. This molecular biology technique is called DNA cloning. To create a clone, a target gene is inserted into a circular piece of DNA called a plasmid.

Plasmids play an important role in gene therapy. Recombinant DNA technology makes use of plasmids to deliver drugs such as insulin and different hormones into the body. The modified plasmids cause antibiotic resistance and are used to kill harmful bacteria in the body.