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How do bacteria reproduce by cell division?
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Reproduction
Fungi produce billions of spores that give rise to new generations of fungi.
Most bacteria reproduce through a process called binary fission, an asexual form of cell division that results in two identical daughter cells.12
The process generally follows these steps:
- DNA Replication: The bacterial chromosome, which contains the cell's genetic information, replicates and divides into two.2
- Cell Growth: The cell increases in volume and grows over its entire surface.1
- Septum Formation: A division septum forms at the midpoint of the cell. In gram-positive bacteria, this septum grows inward from the plasma membrane, while in gram-negative bacteria, the side walls pinch inward.1
- Separation: A new cell wall forms across the elongated parent cell, eventually dividing it into two separate, identical daughter cells.12
Once formed, each daughter cell can continue to grow and repeat the cycle. This process allows bacterial populations to grow in a geometric or exponential manner under favorable conditions.13