What is Binary Fission?

• A. A form of asexual reproduction in single-celled organisms by which one cell divides into two cells of the same size
• B. A form of sexual reproduction in single-celled organisms
• C. The process of meiosis
• D. The fusion of two cells into one

Answer: (A)

Binary fission is asexual reproduction used by many single-celled organisms. The cell copies its DNA, grows, and then divides into two genetically identical daughter cells of roughly equal size. There’s no fusion with another cell and no gamete formation, so no genetic mixing occurs. This process is common in bacteria and other unicellular organisms, enabling rapid population growth. It’s different from meiosis, which creates gametes with half the chromosome number, and from the fusion of two cells to form one.