1. Binary fission ("division in half") is a kind of asexual reproduction. It is the most common form of reproduction in prokaryotic such as bacteria. It occurs in some single-celled Eukaryotas like the Amoeba and the Paramecium. In binary fission DNA replication and segregation occur simultaneously. In binary fission, the fully grown parent cell splits into two halves, producing two new cells. After replicating its genetic material, the parent cell divides into two equal sized daughter cells. The genetic material is replicated, then equally split. The daughter cells are genetically identical (unless a mutation occurs during replication).
2. Bacterial binary fission is similar in some ways to the mitosis that happens in humans and other Eukaryota. In both cases, chromosomes are copied and separated, and the cell divides its cytoplasm to form two new cells. However, the mechanics and sequence of the two processes are fairly different. For one thing, no mitotic spindle forms in bacteria. Perhaps more importantly, DNA replication actually happens at the same time as DNA separation during binary fission (unlike in mitosis, where DNA is copied during S phase, long before its separation in M phase).
