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From Karnataka Open Educational Resources
→Metabolism in bacteria
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====Reproduction in Bacteria====
The sexual or asexual process by which organisms generate new individuals of the same kind is '''reproduction.'''<br>
'''Asexual Reproduction'''
Asexual is a form of where an animal can make its own offspring with no mate. Asexual is the primary form of reproduction.<br>
Asexual reproduction in bacteria is very simple. The cell increases in size. A double wall develops across the midline of the enlarged cell. <br>The cell separates into two cells at the midline wall. <br>Each cell is then able to function as a separate entity. The process of multiplication can be quite rapid.<br> The bacterium E. coli may double in number every 20 minutes in ideal conditions. If you plot the graph of population over time, you get an exponential increase.<br>
'''Sexual reproduction'''
Sex in bacteria differs somewhat from what we consider sex in eukaryotes. It involves the plasmid, which has several important characteristics:<br>
1. A plasmid is a loop of DNA. Plasmids can multiply autonomously within the cell. Thus we may find from zero to many of one or more plasmids in each cell.<br>
2. Many plasmids can insert into the DNA of the nucleus, and detach from it. In doing so, <br>the plasmid may leave part of the plasmid DNA behind, and take some of the nuclear DNA with it.<br>
3. plasmids can transfer from cell to cell. The cells need not be of the same bacterial 'species'.
===Learning objectives===
===Learning objectives===
