Firstly, bacteria acquire their resistant genes from their plasmid. Antibiotic resistance is when a bacteria survives against antibiotics and “learns” how to, “multiply in the presence of therapeutic levels of an antibiotic.” (www.tuff.edu) The surviving bacteria multiply to form antibiotic resistant bacterias. Thus, the cycle continues. Why does this phenomenon occur in the first place? One explanation is that when bacteria are put into a hostile environment with a selective pressure, they genetically mutate to better suit the hostile environment. In other words, the strongest and more suitable bacteria survive, leaving the weaker bacteria to die, “Survival of the fittest .” (Herbert Spencer) The overuse of antibiotics is also to blame as it leads to the same result. Bacteria reproduce by the process of conjugation. Conjugation is when “bacteria transfer genetic material, including genes encoding resistance to antibiotics from one bacterium to another.” (www.health.ny.gov) Thus, the newly formed bacteria has become resistance to the antibiotic without being in that hostile environment. One great example of this amazing evolution is E.coli …show more content…
Coli” (www.usnews.com) A strain of E. coli was discovered in a Costco chicken salad that eventually sickened 19 people in seven states, according to this article, this outbreak is “more likely to be life-threatening” than the Chipotle outbreak. The strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can be life-threatening, but no ones death has been reported. Despite being a different e. coli, both share similar symptoms: fever, life threatening health problems, and bloody diarrhea. E.coli is clearly still posing a threat to the human race. Ampicillin is an antibiotic used to prevent and treat a number of bacteria infections, first developed and sold in 1961. Trmethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), also known as co-trimoxazole among other names, is an antibiotic used to treat a variety of bacteria infections, first developed in 1984. In conclusion, this information has helped me form my hypothesis that bacteria contain plasmids which sometimes contain the genes of antibiotic resistance, which can help bacteria survive and have offspring that are fully immune to certain antibiotics. Rather or not a bacteria becomes resistance to antibiotics can vary on two major factors: time and use. I predict that sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim will prove to be greater in effect and will eliminate more bacteria than ampicillin, because of development and usage