What features on the plasmid allows it to replicate independent of the chromosomes What features on the plasmid allows it to replicate independent of the chromosomes Solution Plasmids are the extra chromosomal DNA found in bacteria. Plasmids possesses a replicon or an origin of replication of specific nucleotide sequence. This replicon helps the plasmids to replicate independently. The tra genes or the transfer genes present in the plasmids helps them to get transferred to the next generation with the help of relaxosome (a combination of DNA and tra protein) which breaks one of the two strands of plasmid DNA and helps to unwind and it gets treansferred throgh pilus. Mob genes also helps them for mobilisation during transformation. Some plasmids undergo binary fission..