Bacteria reproduce mainly by fission. Sometimes, under unfavourable conditions, they produce spores. They also reproduce by a sort of sexual reproduction by adopting a primitive type of DNA transfer from one bacterium to the other.
NTA tests whether students understand that bacteria reproduce primarily through binary fission, a form of asexual reproduction where DNA replication precedes cell division. Students often confuse bacterial reproduction with sexual reproduction or mistakenly think conjugation (DNA transfer) is the main reproductive method—it's actually a primitive form of genetic exchange, not primary reproduction. Key points to remember: binary fission is the dominant method under favorable conditions, spore formation occurs during stress, and conjugation transfers DNA but doesn't increase population. This concept appears in NEET because it's fundamental to understanding microbial biology and differentiates prokaryotic from eukaryotic reproduction.
DNA replication in bacteria occurs NEET 2017
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