Bacteria reproduce by?

Bacteria primarily reproduce through a process known as binary fission. This is an asexual method of reproduction where a single bacterial cell divides into two identical daughter cells. In binary fission, the bacterial DNA is replicated, and the cell grows in size before it divides.

While cell division refers to the general process of a cell splitting into two, binary fission is the specific type of cell division that is characteristic of prokaryotic organisms like bacteria. This means that while all binary fission is a form of cell division, not all cell division in a broader sense refers to binary fission, which is why binary fission is the more precise term.

Spore formation and fragmentation are methods of reproduction found in other organisms or certain types of bacteria, but they are not the primary mode of reproduction for most bacterial species.