How can I understand binary fission and conjugation??

Question

Not homework. Just me.

Answer 1

In bacteria and other unicellular organisms:

1. Binary fission is the process that lets one unicellular organism split into two smaller daughters. The two daughters are genetically identical. The parent cell isn't actually there anymore because it has divided.

2. Conjugation is the process that lets two unicellular organisms exchange some of their DNA. After conjugation, the two cells are still there, but they are different than they were before. Later, when they divide by binary fission their offspring will also have these new differences. The advantage of conjugation is that it introduces variation to the population. When individuals are not all identical, then some of them may survive when conditions change.

Answer 2

Binary fission is where the bacterium makes a copy of itself( 1 into 2, 2 into 4, 4 into 8 etc... it's asexual reproduction.) and conjugation is where the bacterium use things called pillus to join together and reproduce sexualy, combining DNA.