Binary Fission

Start with the sequence

A useful place to begin is the Binary Fission flowchart that follows the circular DNA as it replicates and attaches to the cell membrane. It also shows plasmid replication, the membrane growing inward and the formation of a cell wall. Follow the sequence, then try to describe it without looking.

For a fuller written account, read Cell division in prokaryotic cells and viruses. Its notes describe the replication of circular DNA and plasmids and the membrane growing between the DNA molecules. Compare that explanation with the flowchart to see how each format presents the process.

Use maps and flashcards together

The Binary Fission mind maps offer different views of the topic. One follows DNA replication, septum formation and the growth of a new cell wall. It also includes the Z ring and divisome. Another maps how a prokaryotic cell grows and its circular DNA and plasmids replicate before the cell splits.

After studying a map, use a Binary Fission flashcard deck to practice recalling the stages. One deck asks about the sequence and what daughter cells receive; another asks about the conditions for binary fission. Return to the map when you want to check how the steps connect.

Place binary fission in context

A mind map on the prokaryotic cell cycle describes a period of growth followed by cell division. Use it alongside the Binary Fission resources to connect the division process with the wider cycle. The flashcards on cell division in prokaryotic cells also ask why mitosis does not occur in those cells and why viruses do not undergo cell division.

Binary Fission is part of the Cell Division and the Cell Cycle unit in Biology and natural sciences. Once you have explored a map and practiced with flashcards, try one of the page's quizzes.