Binary fission is the form of asexual reproduction used by most prokaryotes and protists to reproduce. This process results in the reproduction of a living cell by division into two equal or near-equal parts.

Binary fission begins when the DNA replication occurs. Each circular DNA strand then attaches to the cell membrane. The cell elongates, causing the two chromosomes to separate. The cell membrane then invaginates (grows inwards) and splits the cell into two daughter cells through a process called cytokinesis.

Organisms that reproduce through binary fission generally grow exponentially.

This type of asexual reproduction normally results in two identical cells. However, bacterial DNA has a relatively high mutation rate. This rapid rate of genetic change is what makes bacteria capable of developing resistance to antibiotics and helps them exploit invasion into a wide range of environments.

Many organisms reproduce by binary fissions, such as:

• Bacteria (for example, Rickettsia species, that cause diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
• Most protists (for example, Amoeba proteus)
• Entamoeba histolytica (a protozoan that is a human intestinal parasite)
• Pyrodictium abyssi (an anaerobic hyperthermophilic archaea of deep-sea hydrothermal vents)
• Schizosaccharomyces pombe (a fungal organism that is a species of yeast)

See also

• Cell cycle
• Cell division
• Cytokinesis
• Cell growth

Cell biology | Biological reproduction

Scissiparité | Fissão binária