Binary Fission

• Binary fission

  The process by which prokaryotic organisms like bacteria divide and reproduce
• Binary fission


  How binary fission works

  1. Bacterial cell grows in size

  2. Replicates genetic material (large circular DNA strand and plasmids)

  3. Two circular DNA strands move to opposite sides of cell

  4. New cell wall forms down middle of cell

  5. Cell divides into two new bacterial cells
• Binary fission is not the same as mitosis or meiosis, which are processes in eukaryotic cells
• Bacterial cell


  • Cell wall
  • Cell membrane
  • Cytoplasm
  • Large circular DNA strand
  • Plasmids (smaller circular DNA)
• Some bacteria


  • Have a flagellum (tail to move around)
• Binary fission is a type of asexual reproduction for single-celled organisms like bacteria
• Bacterial population growth


  Doubles with each division cycle
• Calculating bacterial population growth


  1. Divide total time by mean division time to get number of division cycles

  2. Multiply starting population by 2 raised to the power of number of division cycles
• Mean division time


  Average time it takes for a bacterial cell to divide
• Mean division time depends on bacterial species and environmental conditions (temperature, moisture, nutrients)