Resistance Bacteria (EOE)

• Evolution is the change of inherited characteristics within a population over time through natural selection, which may result in the formation of a new species
• Bacteria can evolve quickly because they reproduce at a fast rate
• Mutations of bacteria produce new strains
• Some bacteria might become resistant to certain antibiotics, such as penicillin, and cannot be destroyed by the antibiotic
• The evolution of bacteria is an example of natural selection, where the best-adapted individuals survive longer, have more offspring, and spread their characteristics
• The main steps in the development of resistance in bacteria are:

  • Random mutations occur in the genes of individual bacterial cells
  • Some mutations protect the bacterial cell from the effects of the antibiotic
  • Bacteria without the mutation die or cannot reproduce when the antibiotic is present
  • Resistant bacteria can reproduce with less competition from normal bacterial strains
• The number of resistant strains has increased, partly due to the misuse of antibiotics, leading to more infections that are difficult to control
• MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) is very dangerous because it is resistant to most antibiotics
• To reduce the rate of development of antibiotic-resistant strains:

  • Doctors should not prescribe antibiotics inappropriately
  • Patients should always complete the full course of antibiotics
  • The agricultural use of antibiotics should be restricted
• Penicillin was the first antibiotic produced on a mass scale in the 1940s, derived from Penicillium fungi
• Many new types of antibiotics were discovered during the 1950s and 1960s, but the search for new antibiotics has slowed down
• Recent concerns of increasing resistance have created the need for new antibiotics, which are costly and slow to develop
• Some scientists fear that we are facing a losing battle against resistant bacteria, which may lead to people dying from simple infections