binary fission
Prokaryotic organisms reproduce asexually by binary fission , a process that produces identical offspring Figure below . In asexual reproduction , a single parent produces genetically identical offspring. As prokaryotes do not have a nucleus, and have only one circular chromosome, they do not need to reproduce by the same mechanism as eukaryotic cells; mitosis does not exist in prokaryotic cells . Prokaryotic cell division is a much simpler process. In prokaryotic cell division, after the single chromosome is copied, the cell grows larger. Eventually the two chromosomes separate and move to opposite ends of the cell. Newly formed cell membrane then grows into the center of the cell, separating the two chromosomes, and forming two genetically identical daughter cells. Some eukaryotic organelles, such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, also divide by binary fission.