Bacteria primarily reproduce asexually through binary fission. During this process, the bacterial DNA replicates and the cell membrane and cell wall divide, splitting the original cell into two identical daughter cells. Bacteria also undergo genetic recombination through conjugation, transformation, or transduction in order to introduce more variation. Conjugation involves the transfer of genes between bacteria via a protein tube. Transformation occurs when bacteria take up DNA from dead cells. Transduction involves the exchange of DNA between bacteria via bacteriophages. Some bacteria reproduce through budding, where a protrusion forms on the parent cell and separates, or through fragmentation during unfavorable conditions.

2.  Bacterial Reproduction: Asexual
 Most bacteria reproduce by binary fission.
During binary fission, the single DNA molecule
replicates and both copies attach to the cell
membrane.
The cell membrane begins to grow between
the two DNA molecules.
A cell wall then forms between the two DNA
molecules dividing the original cell into two
identical daughter cells.
 DAUGHTER CELLS: Cell resulting from the
replication and division of a single parent cell.

3.  Bacterial Recombination:The cells produced
through this type of reproduction are identical.
 They are all susceptible to the same types of
antibiotics. In order to incorporate some genetic
variation, bacteria use a process called
recombination.
 Bacterial recombination can be accomplished
through conjugation, transformation, or
transduction.

4. Conjugation:Some bacteria are capable of transferring pieces of their genes to
other bacteria that they come in contact with. During conjugation, one bacterium
connects itself to another through a protein tube structure called a pilus. Genes are
transferred from one bacterium to the other through this tube.

5.  Transformation:
Some bacteria are capable of taking up DNA from
their environment. These DNA remnants most
commonly come from dead bacterial cells.
During transformation, the bacterium binds the DNA
and transports it across the bacterial cell membrane.
The new DNA is then incorporated into the bacterial
cell's DNA.

6.  Transduction:
 Transduction is a type of recombination that involves
the exchanging of bacterial DNA through
bacteriophages.
 Bacteriophages are viruses that infect bacteria.
There are two types of transduction: generalized and
specialized transduction.
1.During the assembling process however, some of
the host's bacterial DNA may become encased in the
viral capsid instead of the viral genome. When this
bacteriophage infects another bacterium, it injects
the DNA fragment from the previous bacterium. This
DNA fragment then becomes inserted into the DNA
of the new bacterium. This type of transduction is
called generalized transduction.
2.Specialized transduction is the process by which
a restricted set of bacterial genes are transferred to another
bacterium. The DNA fragments can then be transfered to

8.  BUDDING
 A group of environmental bacteria reproduces
by budding. In this process a small bud forms at
one end of the mother cell or on filaments
called prosthecae. As growth proceeds, the size of
the mother cell remains about constant, but the bud
enlarges. When the bud is about the same size as
the mother cell, it separates. This type of
reproduction is analogous to that in budding fungi,
such as brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces
cerevisiae).

9. Fragmentation:
 Mostly during unfavorable conditions bacterial
protoplasm undergoes compartmentalization and
subsequent fragmentation, forming minute bodies
called gonidia. under favorable conditions, each
gonidium grows to a new bacterium it becomes
apparent that prior to fragmentation the bacterial
genome has to undergo repeated replication so
that each fragmment gets a copy of it.