Topic 3 - Inter-relationships: Antiseptics And Antibiotics Flashcards
Why is it a problem when bacteria become antibiotic-resistant?
The resistant bacteria can survive and reproduce because antibiotics can’t kill them. This means the population of resistant bacteria will increase and it’ll spread rapidly. The resistant bacteria could cause a serious infection that can’t be treated.
How could you investigate the action of different antibiotics on a culture of microorganisms in the lab?
Using sterilised equipment, transfer the microorganisms to a Petri dish containing agar jelly and let them multiply. Soak paper discs in different antibiotics and place them on the jelly. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria will continue to grow around the paper discs but non-resistant strains will die. The bigger the clear zone around a disc, the more effective the antibiotic is.
How do antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria develop.
Antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria develop when a bacterial cell mutates and the mutation causes it to become resistant to an antibiotic. The individual resistant bacteria will survive, and so they will reproduce and the population of the resistant strain will increase.
