Binary fission is the division of bacterial cells into two new cells called

• A. Budding
• B. Binary fission
• C. Mitosis
• D. Conjugation

Answer: (B)

The main idea is how bacteria reproduce by dividing into two identical daughter cells. In binary fission, a bacterial cell grows, duplicates its genetic material, and then splits down the middle to form two new cells. The name itself means “dividing into two,” which fits perfectly with what happens.

This process is different from other terms: mitosis is the nuclear division seen in many eukaryotic cells and requires a nucleus and spindle apparatus; budding involves growth at a specific site to form a new individual (seen in yeasts and some other organisms); conjugation is a genetic exchange between bacteria and does not immediately produce two new cells. So the term that best describes the division of bacterial cells into two new cells is binary fission.