Which of the following is a major difference between binary fission and mitosis?

Question

A) Binary fission can only take place in unicellular organisms.

B) Mitosis can only occur in sexually reproducing eukaryotes.

C) In mitosis, two parents, or mother cells, are needed to initiate the process.

D) In binary fission, there is no duplication of genetic material.

Answer 1

Victoria, 

Single cell bacteria reproduce using binary fission because they only have one single chromosome and not many chromosomes that are characteristic of cells in most eukaryotes.

As  the case is for mitosis in eukaryotes, prokaryotic bacterial chromosomes starts replication prior to reproduction by division. This replication creates two points of origin in bacterial chromosome. That is the signal that bacterial cell is about to reproduce. The single bacterial cell enlarges and become huge in size prior to division/reproduction and the process is known as "binary fission" instead of mitosis that has defines stages and forms mitotic spindle to hold and pull the chromosomes apart on two pole to form two daughter cells.

 

DNA replicates in binary fission, replication is duplicating or copying DNA and therefore,  D is incorrect.

 

Mitosis does not require two parent cells, any somatic cell can be divided by mitosis and therefore, C is incorrect.

 

Mitosis occurs in all somatic cells of hermaphrodites, sexually and asexually reproducing organisms and therefore, B is incorrect.

 

Since single cell bacteria undergo binary fission, A is correct here. 

 

Hope this helps. 

 

 

In Single cell bacteria reproduce using binary fission because they only have one single chromosome and not many chromosomes that are characteristic of  cells in most eukaryotes.

 

As in eukaryotes, prokaryotic bacterial chromosomes starts replication prior to reproduction by division. This replication creates two points of origin in bacterial chromosome. That is the signal that bacterial cell is about to reproduce. The single bacterial cell enlarges and become huge in size prior to division/reproduction and the process is known as "binary fission" instead of mitosis that has defines stages and forms mitotic spindle to hold and pull the chromosomes apart on two pole to form two daughter cells. 

Answer 2

The answer is A. Binary fission is the process by which prokaryotes replicate and divide their DNA. Remember that mitosis is specifically the division of nucleus and therefore only occurs in eukaryotes.