Which is NOT a mechanism used for bacterial replication? A spore budding B budding C binary fission D multiple fission

The correct answer is **A. spore budding**.<br /><br />Spore formation (sporogenesis) is a mechanism for survival in unfavorable conditions, not for replication. Bacterial spores are dormant, resistant structures. While budding and fission (both binary and multiple) are forms of asexual reproduction that increase the number of bacterial cells. Budding involves the formation of a smaller outgrowth (bud) that separates from the parent cell, while fission involves the division of the parent cell into two or more daughter cells.<br />