Biology / Unit 9 Bio 1955 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Binary Fission and Horizontal Gene Transfer, Reused
Captions available
The idea
Prokaryotes reproduce asexually by binary fission, per Bio 0903, splitting into two clones, then gain new gene combinations only through horizontal transfer.
In practice
Transformation, transduction, and conjugation, per Bio 1817, are the three classical routes by which a prokaryote acquires DNA outside of fission.
Where people slip
Binary fission alone produces no diversity — any recombination in prokaryotes comes from horizontal transfer, not from fission.
Your place on the trail
Every lesson rests on earlier ones and opens later ones. Tap any to jump.
Something wrong in this lesson? Flag it · Sources for Biology