The project that you are working on was initiated in response to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance in both hospital and community settings. even in the early discovery and development phase, it is important to think ahead to try to minimize the likelihood that bacteria will be able to evolve resistance to your new drug. understanding how resistance emerges is an essential part of this process. which of the following statements is not true regarding the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria? a. due to natural genetic variation within populations, resistant bacteria will be present--even in the absence of antibiotic. b. the exposure of bacteria to an antibiotic causes the bacteria to produce resistance genes. c. resistance can emerge due to mutations in chromosomal genes. d. bacteria can acquire plasmids conferring resistance through horizontal gene transfer