Question

A) The widespread misuse of antibiotics, in both humans and livestock, has led to widespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial strains that infect humans and other animals. Antibiotic resistance is a genetic trait, encoded by specific alleles that emerge through mutation. Do antibiotics cause the mutations that lead to resistance?

B.) Why is it said that the emergence of mutations is the result of who wins in a race between DNA repair and DNA replication?

C.) Certain DNA sequences are especially prone to “strand slippage.” In your own words, give an account of how this phenomenon can lead to a specific genetic disease

Answer 1

Answer to question A

Antibiotic resistance is a phenomenon in which bacteria is not affected by the antibiotics.

Mechanisms of antibiotic resistance

1)Efflux of antibiotics

2)Modification of cell membrane permeability

3)Mutations where antibiotic binds

4)Enzymatic inactivation

Mutations where antibiotic binds-Antibiotics bind to 30s or 50s subunit of ribosome.If the antibiotic binding site of 50s or 30s subunit is mutated antibiotic will fail to bind the ribosome.Only resisitant bacteria will multiply while we are using such antibiotics.Here natural selection of antibiotic resistant bacteria occur.