graphs showing the rate of growth of Eva’s bacteria, which were collected at different times during the course of the infection. See the Assessment section for answers to the questions and for key discussion points.In steps 2–11, students analyze the graphs showing the growth of Eva’s population of bacteria, develop an explanation of how her antibiotic resistance developed, and recommend a treatment strategy. A complete explanation should mention that the graphs show when the bacteria acquired resistance to antibiotics A and C and how the proportion of antibiotic-resistant and non-resistant bacteria change over the six days. Students should recommend that Eva be treated with Antibiotic B. The following explanation summarizes the key points.
Why don’t antibiotics work on viruses?
Viruses are surrounded by a protective protein coating; they don’t have cell walls that can be attacked by antibiotics like bacteria does. It is because of this that antibiotics don’t work on viruses. Can’t I take antibiotics ‘just in case’?
What are antibiotics and how do they work?
Antibiotics were discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 and are widely credited as one of the most important medical discoveries in human history. Antibiotics treat infections caused by bacteria. Bacteria are very small organisms, and billions of them live in and on your body.
Why is antibiotic resistance a big problem?
See, like any living organism, bacteria evolve to adapt to changing environments. If exposed to antibiotics enough, bacteria could evolve to become resistant. Doctors and medical experts see this as a big potential problem, because it increases the chances that harmful bacteria can no longer be treated, making us all more vulnerable.
Should you take antibiotics when you don’t need them?
Taking antibiotics when they aren’t needed actually increases the risk that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. See, like any living organism, bacteria evolve to adapt to changing environments. If exposed to antibiotics enough, bacteria could evolve to become resistant.
What happens if an infection doesn't respond to antibiotics?
When bacteria become resistant, the original antibiotic can no longer kill them. These germs can grow and spread. They can cause infections that are hard to treat. Sometimes they can even spread the resistance to other bacteria that they meet.
Why would a person not respond to antibiotics?
Some bacteria can naturally resist certain kinds of antibiotics. Others can become resistant if their genes change or they get drug-resistant genes from other bacteria. The longer and more often antibiotics are used, the less effective they are against those bacteria.
What is actually causing the resistance to antibiotic?
Antibiotic resistance is accelerated when the presence of antibiotics pressure bacteria and fungi to adapt. Antibiotics and antifungals kill some germs that cause infections, but they also kill helpful germs that protect our body from infection. The antibiotic-resistant germs survive and multiply.
What causes antibiotic resistance Why is it so difficult to stop?
Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process. A growing number of infections – such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, and salmonellosis – are becoming harder to treat as the antibiotics used to treat them become less effective.
Why are bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics?
Resistance happens when bacteria come in contact with antibiotics and survive. Mutations in their genes allow some bacteria to survive these antibiotics, and they pass these genes along to their descendants. This is how antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria are formed.
Why are some bacteria resistant to antibiotics?
Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance Some bacteria are naturally resistant due to an unusually impermeable cell membrane or a lack of the target that the antibiotic attacks. Other bacteria are capable of producing enzymes that can inactivate antibiotics upon contact.
How do bacteria become resistant to certain types of antibiotics quizlet?
How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that reduces or eliminates the effectiveness of drugs, chemicals, or other agents designed to cure or prevent infections. The bacteria survive and continue to multiply causing more harm.
What is a bacterium that causes infection and is resistant to most antibiotics?
MRSA is one of the most common antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Why is it so difficult to prevent the spread of drug resistance in bacteria?
Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop defenses against the antibiotics designed to kill them. This renders the drugs useless against the new resistant strains, allowing resistance to grow and spread to other germs, creating drug-resistant infections that can be difficult to treat.
What is the strongest antibiotic for bacterial infection?
Vancomycin, long considered a "drug of last resort," kills by preventing bacteria from building cell walls.
Why won't my UTI go away after antibiotics?
There are three primary reasons that this may happen: an antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria is causing your UTI. another type of bacteria, fungi, or virus may be causing your infection. your UTI may be another condition that has UTI-like symptoms.
Why is my UTI still here after antibiotics?
Sometimes, however, UTI symptoms can linger even after antibiotic therapy. Reasons for this may include: Your UTI is caused by an antibiotic-resistant bacteria strain. Your infection is caused by another type of virus, fungi or bacteria.