Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance

• What is the role of antibiotics in treating diseases?

  They treat diseases caused by bacteria
• Why can't antibiotics treat diseases caused by viruses?

  Viruses lack target molecules for antibiotics
• What is antibiotic resistance?

  Bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics
• When were antibiotics widely used?

  Since the middle of the 20th century
• Who discovered penicillin?

  Alexander Fleming
• What type of organism produces penicillin?

  A type of fungus
• How does penicillin kill bacteria?

  It interferes with peptidoglycan cross-linking
• What happens to bacteria when penicillin is applied?

  Bacteria cannot form cell walls and burst
• Why do antibiotics not harm human cells?

  Human cells lack a cell wall
• What causes antibiotic resistance?

  Overuse of antibiotics and misuse
• What major effect did antibiotics have on human health?

  Reduced deaths from bacterial infections
• How does antibiotic resistance develop in bacteria?

  Through random mutations and survival of the fittest
• What happens to non-resistant bacteria when an antibiotic is applied?

  They are killed by the antibiotic
• What is MRSA?

  Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus
• Why is MRSA a significant problem in hospitals?

  It can spread easily between patients
• What does C difficile produce that can lead to illness?

  Toxins causing diarrhea and fever
• How can C difficile become a problem after antibiotic use?

  It survives while other bacteria are killed
• How can we reduce the chances of antibiotic resistance developing?

  Use antibiotics only when essential
• What hygiene practices can help prevent antibiotic resistance?

  Effective hygiene in hospitals