Question

• Describe TWO specific cellular mechanisms through which a bacterium can become resistant to an antibiotic. – Please note that this question is NOT about practices or actions we do that contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria, such as not taking the entire prescribed dose. Please remember that bacterial cells become resistant or tolerant to antibiotics, NOT human cells, or the human body. – *** Perform some research in the college's online library, a microbiology textbook, and other credible scientific sources of information.
• Explain the concepts of mutation and natural selection as part of the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.
• What are two or three actions that we, as a society, can take to limit or reduce antibiotic resistance in bacteria?

Answer 1

Ans a: There are two main ways that bacterial cells can acquire antibiotic resistance. One is through mutations that occur in the DNA of the cell during replication and because of this mutation the normal protein coded by the gene can be alter and this altered protein can be used by the bacteria to develop antibiotic resistance as this protein can have the ability to inactivate or cleave antibiotic upon contact . The other way that bacteria acquire resistance is through horizontal gene transfer. There are three different ways in which this can occur, but in each case genetic material is transferred from antibiotic-resistant bacteria to other bacterial cells, making them resistant to antibiotics as well. Once bacterial cells acquire resistance, exposure to antibiotics kills off non-resistance bacteria, while the antibiotic-resistant bacteria proliferate.

b:  A mutation is a permanent alteration in the sequence of nitrogenous bases of a DNA molecule. The result of a mutation is generally a change in the end-product specified by that gene. Mutation in bacteria has some results such as missense, nonsense, silent, frameshift, lethal, suppressor and conditional lethal mutation.

All these mutations can result in an altered protein and beacuse of this mutated product bacterial cell can counter the antibiotic by inactivating the antibiotic upon contact or it can modify  the antibiotic’s target, rendering the antibiotic ineffective. .

Natural selection is basically survival of the fittest so if by any means by mutation or by horizontal gene transfer, if a bacteria is able to develop the antibiotic resistance than that particular change will permanently adpated by the genome of the bacteria and only those progenies which have developed antibiotic resistance are promoted in the population.

c) Some ways that we as a society can take to limit or reduce antibiotic resistance in bacteria are: immunization, safe food preparation, handwashing, and using antibiotics as directed and only when necessary. Minimum are the use of antibiotics minimum are the chances of developing antibiotic resistance in bacteria.