Topic 6 - Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria

Question 1

How can antibiotic resistant bacteria form?

Answer 1

Bacteria sometimes develop random mutations in their DNA which lead to changes in their characteristics. Antibiotic resistant strains can form as the gene for antibiotic resistance becomes more common

Question 2

Why are antibiotic strains a problem?

Answer 2

People who become infected with them are not immune to them and there is no effective treatment. This makes the infection easily spread between people.

Question 3

What is MRSA?

Answer 3

A relatively common ‘superbug’ that is really hard to get rid of. It often affects people in hospitals and can be fatal if it enters their bloodtream

Question 4

Bacteria can evolve quickly as

Answer 4

They reproduce rapidly

Question 5

Why is over prescribing antibiotics an issue?

Answer 5

Antibiotics create a situation where naturally resistant bacteria have an advantage and so increase in numbers. The more often they are used the bigger the problem of antibiotic resistance

Question 6

How can the problem of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria be reduced?

Answer 6

• Doctors must not prescribe antibiotics for non-serious conditions
• Patients must take the full course of antibiotics so that all bacteria are destroyed meaning there are none left to mutate

Question 7

Why is developing new antibiotics for resistant strains not a solution?

Answer 7

The rate of development is slow and very costly, so we are unlikely to keep up with the demand for these as more antibiotic resistant strains develop

Question 8

Why is antibiotic resistant bacteria a problem in framing?

Answer 8

Antibiotics can be given to animals to prevent the from becoming ill and make them grow faster. It can lead to the development of resistant strains in animals which can spread to humans