Question: How do bacteria reproduce

Carmen Denman answered on 9 Mar 2015:

Hi Victoria,

They divide themselves many many times, we call it ‘replication’ via binary fission. There are a lot of details people have studied regarding bacterial replication. Because if we can control replication, we might be able to control disease in the first place. That is how some antibiotics work – by halting bacterial reproduction/replication.

Bacteria reproduce by binary fission. This process one cell divides to give two identical daughter cells. Most of the genetic information in bacteria is found on a single circular chromosome (although there can be multiple chromosomes) which consists of DNA that will code for the bacteria’s essential and non essential proteins. This genetic information must distributed equally to each of the daughter cells in order to produce exact copies that will pass on the same information again and again during their own replication.

If you’d like more detail let me know!

Cheers,

Carmen