two daughter cells
Not much is known about cell division in prokaryotes compared to what is
known about eukaryotic mitosis and meiosis. E. coli is
the most studied bacteria, and so we shall use it as an example of
prokaryotic cell division through binary fission.
E. coli has one main chromosome only, which is folded
on itself in a circular clump, as opposed to the multiple linear
chromosomes of eukaryotes. When the prokaryotic cell reaches a threshold
mass, it begins to elongate and replicate DNA.
It elongates by using autolysin to break apart the peptidoglycan wall of
the cell just enough to insert new bricks of peptidoglycan in between the
old ones, thus making the wall longer. Autolysin inhibitors regulate the
work of the autolysins so they do not break apart completely all the
peptidoglycan and destroy the cell wall. Penicillin prevents new
bricks of peptdidoglycan from being inserted, and so the bacterial cell
wall keeps breaking apart and breaking apart until the cell is destroyed.
Here is a link to a movie that may be outdated.
It comes from 
, and is copyrighted by James A. Sullivan.
If it is still there, you could watch bacteria in the presence of
peniclillin trying to elongate without being able able to put in new
bricks. Eventually the cell walls break up, and the bacteria dies.
DNA synthesis is closely coupled with cell division. If DNA synthesis is
blocked the cell will continue to elongate but not divide. Once the DNA
has replicated, the two strands will each attach to the plasma membrane
near the same central place. As the cell elongates, the two DNA will be
pulled to opposite sides the cell. Cell division can occur once the two
DNA have been attached properly, and division will pause to repair
any damaged DNA. Cell division completes by forming a septum wall between
the two chromosomes, splitting the cell into two.
Rapidly growing bacteria will begin to replicate DNA and start
formation of new septums in each of the two daughter cells even before
they have completely separated from the first division.