Final answer:
Binary fission is a form of asexual reproduction in prokaryotic cells that involves DNA replication, cytoplasmic content division, and cell elongation leading to the formation of two genetically identical daughter cells through a constriction ring formed by the protein FtsZ.
Step-by-step explanation:
Binary fission is the process by which prokaryotic cells, such as bacteria, reproduce. The process begins with the replication of DNA, in which the bacterial chromosome is copied. Following DNA replication, the cell undergoes a period of growth, during which the cytoplasmic contents are increased in preparation for division.
As the cell elongates, a specialized protein known as FtsZ assembles at the center of the cell, forming a constriction ring. This ring tightens, leading to the formation of a division septum that eventually separates the parent cell into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell receives an identical copy of the original chromosome, resulting in two genetically identical cells.
Binary fission differs from cell division in eukaryotes, primarily because eukaryotic cells undergo mitosis and meiosis, which involve complex processes of chromosome segregation within a nucleus. Since prokaryotic cells lack a nucleus and typically have a single circular chromosome, the processes of karyokinesis and cytokinesis seen in eukaryotes are not necessary for binary fission.