Q 1: Read the article then explain how rapid reproduction in bacteria causes them to evolve quickly.
Bacteria are microorganisms that have ability to spread diseases in human and other living organisms. Just like all other organisms bacteria can also reproduce but the difference is that bacteria reproduce at tremendously fast pace, you can have an idea that when the conditions are favorable a single bacteria like Ecoli can replicate after each 20 minutes that means that in seven hours, one bacteria can produce its 2,097,152 copies.
Another important characteristic of a bacteria is that it can also undergo mutation (changes in genetic sequence) quickly. So as mentioned in article, when there are new and new antibiotics introduced in market to kill bacteria, what a bacterium does that it undergoes mutations so that the old medicine in unable to work on new genetic sequence (since it was designed for old one). This way we can say that bacteria undergoes natural selection and produces novel strains and what we understand that bacteria has got resistant to our old medicine or which is called antibiotic resistance. So more the usage of antibiotic is, in a way it is favoring the bacteria to evolve quickly into new strains and making it difficult for us to fight old strains of bacteria and treat diseases they bring.
Q 2. List 2 reasons we should be concerned about antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic resistance is a problem faced by all over the world and is considered to be a serious health threat for people. Therefore, the diseases which were considered very easy to treat through antibiotics like influence or sore throat infection are worrying scientists to treat minor ailments in future since bacteria are not getting affected by antibiotics (antibiotic resistance). Below are two reasons why we should be concerned about resistance:
1: If antibiotic resistance gets high the cost of simple antibiotics would become immensely high because it would take a lot of effort for scientists to make new and new antibiotic and combat the speed of bacteria evolving more and more rapidly, it will not only make it difficult for scientist to make new antibiotic but also difficult for people to purchase medicine due to their increased cost.2: Secondly, scientists are not always perfect or angels, it needs many years for scientists to make new antibiotics and get them approved by FDA, therefore, resistance for antibiotics may pose great risk to treat the novel diseases caused by bacteria.
3. Finally, of the possible causes provided (in class or from the article) share the one you think is most at fault for our superbug (bacteria resistance) problem.
As we discussed in above answers that there are many reasons for the formation of super bugs (resistant bacteria strains) but i personally think that the worst reason in the ignorance of patients and mistake of doctors in poor countries where conditions such as cold, flu and ear infections also lead doctors to recommend antibiotics, and even if they don't prescribe patients follow the old prescriptions themselves if a condition that was previously treated with antibiotic happens to them again. Therefore, awareness sessions are required to be organized for both people as well as doctors so that risk of antibiotic resistance and super bug formation become minimized.
Hope it helps!
