9F - Evolving Pathogens

Question 1

causes of antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

Answer 1

Overuse and misuse of antibiotics act as selection pressures, allowing resistant bacteria to survive and reproduce.

Question 2

What role do mutations play in antibiotic resistance?

Answer 2

Mutations create new alleles that help bacteria combat antibiotics, such as through impermeability, efflux pumps, or inactivation.

Question 3

What is bacterial conjugation?

Answer 3

The process where bacteria exchange genetic material, spreading resistance alleles.

Question 4

What factors contribute to antibiotic resistance?

Answer 4

Incomplete antibiotic courses.
Misuse of antibiotics for viral infections.
Widespread use of antibiotics.

Question 5

How to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria?

Answer 5

By using combination therapies with antibiotics targeting different bacterial mechanisms.

Question 6

How do viruses adapt, and why are vaccines challenging to develop?

Answer 6

Viruses constantly modify surface antigens:

These changes evade immune memory, making long-term vaccines ineffective.

Question 7

antigenic drift

Answer 7

Drift: Gradual mutations accumulate over time, leading to subtypes.

Question 8

antigenic shift

Answer 8

Shift: Sudden, major genetic changes from strain recombination create new subtypes, often causing epidemics/pandemics.

Question 9

How do bacteria resist antibiotics, and what are the consequences of misuse?

Answer 9

impermeability (modified cell walls), efflux pumps, inactivation (e.g., chemical changes to antibiotics), and target protein modification.
Misuse accelerates resistance by exposing bacteria unnecessarily, reducing antibiotic effectiveness.