Meaning & use

binary fission

noun·Academic

A method of asexual reproduction in which a single cell divides into two genetically identical daughter cells.

See it in a sentence

Bacteria multiply rapidly through binary fission when conditions are warm and food is plentiful.

Under the microscope, students watched an amoeba undergo binary fission.

A note on using this word

Binary fission differs from mitosis in complex organisms because it occurs in simple, single-celled life forms such as bacteria.

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