Redseal Hairstyling License Practice Test

What is the term for the process where bacteria grow to their largest size and then divide into two cells?

1. Binary fission

2. Mitosis

3. Cellular respiration

4. Cell division

The correct answer is: Binary fission

The process where bacteria grow to their largest size and then divide into two cells is known as binary fission. This is a form of asexual reproduction that is specific to prokaryotic organisms, such as bacteria. In binary fission, a single bacterial cell, after reaching a certain size, replicates its DNA and then divides into two genetically identical daughter cells. This method of reproduction is efficient and allows for rapid population growth under favorable conditions. Other terms commonly associated with cell division, like mitosis, refer specifically to the process in eukaryotic cells. Mitosis is more complex and involves various stages like prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase, resulting in the production of two daughter cells with the same number of chromosomes as the original cell. Cellular respiration, on the other hand, is the metabolic process through which cells convert sugars into energy, and it is not related to the process of division or reproduction of cells. While "cell division" is a broad term that encompasses various methods of cell division, binary fission specifically describes the process in bacteria, making it the correct term in this context.