Which one of the following processes results in the formation of clone of bacteria ?

Options

A. Regeneration
B. Budding
C. Binary fission
D. Fragmentation

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Cloning**:
- A clone is defined as an organism that has the exact same genetic makeup as another organism. This means that the genetic material (DNA) is identical.

2. **Evaluating the Options**:
- The question provides four processes: regeneration, budding, binary fission, and fragmentation. We need to determine which of these processes results in the formation of clones.

3. **Analyzing Regeneration**:
- Regeneration involves an organism being cut into parts, where each part can regenerate into a new organism. However, these new organisms are not genetically identical to each other or to the original organism. Therefore, regeneration does not produce clones.

4. **Analyzing Budding**:
- Budding is a process where a small outgrowth (bud) develops on the parent organism, eventually separating to form a new organism. While the bud may share genetic material with the parent, it does not result in two identical organisms, thus it does not produce clones.

5. **Analyzing Binary Fission**:
- Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction commonly seen in bacteria. In this process, the parent cell divides into two daughter cells after replicating its genetic material. Since both daughter cells receive an identical copy of the genetic material, they are considered clones of the original cell.

6. **Analyzing Fragmentation**:
- Fragmentation involves breaking an organism into pieces, where each piece can grow into a new organism. Similar to regeneration, the new organisms formed through fragmentation are not genetically identical to each other or to the original organism. Thus, fragmentation does not produce clones.

7. **Conclusion**:
- After evaluating all the processes, it is clear that binary fission is the only process that results in the formation of clones of bacteria.

**Final Answer**: The process that results in the formation of clones of bacteria is **binary fission**.

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