Introduction
Reproduction is a necessary biological process to continue the existence of a race or species. This process is thus the basis of maintaining the continuity of a species. There are several types of reproduction varying from the simplest asexual type to complex sexual types depending upon the type of the organism. Unicellular organisms reproduce by the simplest type of reproduction of cell division or fission to create their new individuals and continue the species. Binary fission is such a kind of cell division process of the asexual type. Binary fission also involves various steps like a higher organism, as bacterial cells also need to copy their DNA; they have multiple linear rods like chromosomes enclosed in a membrane-bound nucleus, bacterial cells. This process generally occurs when the environmental condition is most favourable.
Amoeba
Amoeba is a single-celled eukaryotic organism that catches food and moves out by extending a fingerlike projection of protoplasm. Amoeba is either free-living in damp environments or parasitic. The shape of the Amoeba is irregular and can be changed according to time and situation.
Classification of Amoeba
Kingdom: Protozoa
Class: Tubulinea
Family: Amoebidae
Order: TubulinIndia
Genus: Amoeba
Amoeba is extremely diverse in nature so they reproduce using varieties of different modes such as binary fission, spore formation and even sexually.
Most commonly amoeba undergoes asexual reproduction through binary fission under this reproduction process parent cell divides into two new daughter cells and during this process, both duplication and division of genetic material of the parent cell occur and each daughter cell receives a single copy of parent genetic material. As binary fission is a primitive reproduction process in prokaryotes, all resulting daughter cells are genetically identical to each other and parent cell, there is no spindle apparatus formation in the cell during this type of reproduction process.
Binary Fission in Amoeba Happens Through Various Steps, They Are:
Replication of DNA: Under this process, the DNA of bacteria replicates its chromosome and just doubles its essential contents.
Growth of Cell: After replication, the process cell starts growing by increasing the amount of cytoplasm along with organelles. Another important part of this stage is that two strands move toward opposite poles.
Segregation of DNA: The cell elongated with the furrow in the middle. The two chromosomes also separate themself.
Splitting of Cell: A new cell wall is formed and a cell splits at the centre dividing the parent cell into two daughter cells.
The Shape of Amoeba Under Compound Microscope
When we viewed Amoeba in a microscope it looks like a colourless transparent jelly moving across the field slowly as they change their shape. Finger-like projection of Amoeba is known as Pseudopodia, as Pseudo means false and Podolia means legs.
How Does Binary Fission in Amoeba and Budding yeast happen?
Binary Fission in Amoeba
Binary fission is a kind of asexual reproduction where a body separates into two new bodies with each body with its own copy of DNA. In this process, the body first duplicates its genetic materials and then the body divides into two bodies by the process of cytokinesis. This kind of reproduction is seen in Amoeba and other organisms. In this way, a species produces its own kind and continues to exist generation wise. Asexual reproduction in eukaryotes is binary fission. Binary fission usually occurs when the environmental conditions are favourable.
Amoeba is a unicellular eukaryotic protozoan with no single taxonomic group looking like a transparent colourless mass of jelly. It has a very diverse nature and uses various modes of reproduction. They reproduce by binary fission, spore formation and sometimes even sexually.
Budding:
Another type of asexual reproduction is budding. Budding is a method in which the organism produces an outgrowth or a bud due to cell division under favourable conditions. A new organism develops from the outgrowth or bud. The genetic material in the daughter cells is identical to each other and also to the parent cell since this is a primitive type of asexual reproduction. This type of reproduction through vegetative growth of budding is mainly seen in yeast and hydra.
Yeast is a unicellular eukaryote belonging to the fungus kingdom, often used in the fermentation process. Yeast usually reproduces by the method of budding.
How Budding in Yeast Occurs:
It is a kind of vegetative asexual reproduction, where buds are formed on the parent cell and they form new individuals from these buds. The nucleus of the parent nucleus divides into the daughter nucleus and moves to the daughter cell. They are genetically identical to their parents.
Budding Involves Various Steps Like:
Formation of Bud: buds are formed on the parent body.
Division of Cytoplasm: cytoplasm equally divides into daughter cells.
Termination of Bud into Different Individuals: formed buds terminate into separate daughter bodies.
MCQ Based on Budding and Binary Fission:
1. Budding is most commonly seen in:
Yeast
Grasses
Amoeba
Spirogyra
Answer: Yeast
2. Amoeba most commonly reproduce in or with which mode:
Spore formation
Binary fission
Sexually
Answer: Binary fission
3. Binary fission show similarity with which mode of division:
Mitosis division
Meiotic division
Answer: Mitosis division
4. Which event occurs first in amoeba during binary fission:
Cytokinesis
Karyokinesis
Answer: Cytokinesis
FAQs on Binary Fission in Amoeba and Budding in Yeast
1. What is Binary Fission?
Binary fission is a kind of asexuall reproduction where cells divide into two halves to increase their population. This process is similar to mitosis division in higher organisms.
2. Define Budding?
It is also a kind of vegetative asexual reproduction performed in yeast, where small bud is formed from parent cell and they reproduce to form new individuals.
3. How Does Amoeba Reproduce?
Amoeba reproduces asexually through binary fission. In this process, an individual divides itself into two daughter cells. These are genetically identical to each other.
4. State all Types of Binary Fission?
There are four types of binary fission that includes,
Irregular binary fission
Longitudinal binary fission
Transverse binary fission
Oblique binary fission
5. How Binary Fission is Different From Multiple Fission?
In binary fission single parents form only two daughter cells whereas in Multiple fission single parents form multiple daughter cells.
6. What are the different steps of reproduction by binary fission?
Binary fission is the most primitive method of reproduction and hence the newly formed cells have identical genetic material as the parent cells and also each other. The different steps of binary fission are a follows:
Replication of Genetic Material: The replication of the genetic material present in the nucleus by mitotic division is the first step. The nucleus gradually separates into two daughter nuclei by karyokinesis.
Increase in Cellular Material: Karyokinesis is followed by the growth of the cell with an increasing amount of cytoplasm and organelles.
Finally, the body elongates with the movement of the genetic materials to either side of the poles and the formation of a groove in the middle.
Finally, the cell splits into two new daughter cells with new cell walls around them.
7. What are the different stages of budding?
Budding is another type of asexual reproduction which proceeds by the generation of some new anatomical part which finally results in the formation of new organisms. It involves the following steps:
A bud or an outgrowth is formed at any part of the body of the organism under favorable conditions
The buds enlarge in size
The nucleus divides mitotically into two separate parts out of which one part moves into the daughter cell and the other stays in the parent cell.
After the formation of the buds cytoplasm equally divides into the daughter cells.
Breaking off the bud from the parent body and formation of new daughter bodies.
The daughter cells formed contain identical genetic material as the parent cell since this is an asexual type of reproduction.
8. Differentiate between binary fission and budding.
Budding and binary fission both are asexual reproduction but one differs from the other in the following points:
In budding, a new organism is produced by enlarging from a bud while in binary fission the parent splits two new organisms
Budding is usually asymmetric division while binary fission is an asymmetric division.
In budding, the new organism remains attached to the parent cell until it reaches maturation while in binary fission the daughter cells are immediately separated from the parent cell with the separation of the genetic materials.
9. What are the differences between Binary Fission and Multiple Fission?
Both are asexual forms of reproduction but they differ from each other on the following points.
Binary fission usually occurs only during favourable conditions of food and temperature but multiple fission can occur in unfavourable conditions.
In binary fission as the name suggests the division happens only once however in multiple fission division continues repeatedly.
Binary fission usually follows a definite pattern of division but multiple fission does not follow any specific pattern.
10. What are the differences between binary fission and mitosis?
Binary fission differs from mitosis in the following points:
Binary fission usually occurs in prokaryotic cells but mitosis is the type of cell division that occurs in eukaryotic cells.
Stages of binary fission differ from mitosis: In binary fission, the DNA replication, segregation, and finally cytokinesis happen with the formation of new cells but In mitosis, the stages involved are interphase, mitotic phase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and finally telophase. These stages together form the karyokinesis i.e splitting of genetic material. It is followed by cytokinesis i.e. splitting of cells.
