Videos and Notes which teach you everything you need to know
Flash Mode: Quick Videos for cramming
Revision Mode: Self Paced Videos with Full Notes
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Antibiotics are used to treat BACTERIAL infections, but the emergence of ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA poses a significant challenge to modern medicine.
HOW BACTERIA BECOME RESISTANT
- Bacteria can become resistance through RANDOM MUTATIONS in their DNA, leading to changes in their characteristics.
- These mutations may result in bacteria forming RESISTANT STRAINS that can survive even when exposed to antibiotics.
- Whenever antibiotics are introduced to bacteria, they will kill most of the cells, however the RESISTANT BACTERIA will SURVIVE and REPRODUCE.
- Since bacteria reproduce RAPIDLY, these resistant traits can spread throughout their whole populations, outcompeting non-resistant strains. This is an example of EVOLUTION.
CONSEQUENCES OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
- Resistant bacteria are HARDER to treat, as they will NO LONGER BE KILLED by the antibiotics.
- This leads to infections that can SPREAD EASILY between people as they are not immune it AND there is no longer any effective treatment for the bacteria. This makes these bacterial infections more difficult to manage.
- An example is MRSA, a notorious 'superbug' that is resistant to antibiotics.
There are several FACTORS that have contributed to ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE:
- The OVERUSE and MISUSE of antibiotics, such as prescribing them for non-bacterial infections, have made the issue worse.
- Inappropriate antibiotic use in AGRICULTURE to treat plant infections has also contributes to the rise in resistant strains.
- Scientists are trying develop new antibiotics to combat resistant strains but the process is very EXPENSIVE and SLOW, meaning it will NOT likely keep up with the emergence of new strains.
We can SLOW down the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria by doing the following:
- Doctors should encourage patients to complete the FULL COURSE of prescribed antibiotics, even if they are feeling better. This ensures that ALL bacteria are eliminated, and none survive to form resistant strains.
- Doctors should NOT prescribing antibiotic inappropriately, such as treating NON-SERIOUS infections and VIRAL infections.
- In FARMING, the use of antibiotics should be RESTRICTED.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Antibiotics are used to treat BACTERIAL infections, but the emergence of ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT BACTERIA poses a significant challenge to modern medicine.
HOW BACTERIA BECOME RESISTANT
- Bacteria can become resistance through RANDOM MUTATIONS in their DNA, leading to changes in their characteristics.
- These mutations may result in bacteria forming RESISTANT STRAINS that can survive even when exposed to antibiotics.
- Whenever antibiotics are introduced to bacteria, they will kill most of the cells, however the RESISTANT BACTERIA will SURVIVE and REPRODUCE.
- Since bacteria reproduce RAPIDLY, these resistant traits can spread throughout their whole populations, outcompeting non-resistant strains. This is an example of EVOLUTION.
CONSEQUENCES OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
- Resistant bacteria are HARDER to treat, as they will NO LONGER BE KILLED by the antibiotics.
- This leads to infections that can SPREAD EASILY between people as they are not immune it AND there is no longer any effective treatment for the bacteria. This makes these bacterial infections more difficult to manage.
- An example is MRSA, a notorious 'superbug' that is resistant to antibiotics.
There are several FACTORS that have contributed to ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE:
- The OVERUSE and MISUSE of antibiotics, such as prescribing them for non-bacterial infections, have made the issue worse.
- Inappropriate antibiotic use in AGRICULTURE to treat plant infections has also contributes to the rise in resistant strains.
- Scientists are trying develop new antibiotics to combat resistant strains but the process is very EXPENSIVE and SLOW, meaning it will NOT likely keep up with the emergence of new strains.
We can SLOW down the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria by doing the following:
- Doctors should encourage patients to complete the FULL COURSE of prescribed antibiotics, even if they are feeling better. This ensures that ALL bacteria are eliminated, and none survive to form resistant strains.
- Doctors should NOT prescribing antibiotic inappropriately, such as treating NON-SERIOUS infections and VIRAL infections.
- In FARMING, the use of antibiotics should be RESTRICTED.
