Answer:
Selected option: binary fission
Step-by-step explanation:
Bacteria reproduce asexually, usually by binary fission, also known as bipartition. This process consists of a stem cell giving rise to two genetically identical cells, but smaller in size. First the circular bacterial DNA is duplicated with the help of DNA polymerase, and then a transverse wall is formed by internal growth of the plasma membrane and the cell wall. Some species of bacteria, after dividing, hold daughter cells together through membranes. This characteristic allows the formation of bacterial colonies, which greatly facilitate their identification, since each species that forms these groups does so in a special way: in a single one-dimensional row, in two dimensions, in clusters, etc. Binary fission happens very fast. Ideally, some bacteria divide at 20 minute intervals. At that rate, if there is no interference, a bacterium would give rise to more than a billion bacteria in 10 hours. However, bacteria cannot reproduce at this speed for long, because soon the lack of food or the accumulation of waste products would prevent it.