How do antibiotics resistant?
Bacteria can adapt quickly and efficiently to changing circumstances. Bacteria adapt continuously to. The environment in which they live plays a major role. If antibiotics are present in a situation, bacteria will adapt itself to that specific situation. In other words, under the influence of antibiotics bacteria adapt themselves and in this way, they will become resistant: this type of resistance is called acquired resistance. Acquired resistance means that a bacterium which is naturally sensitive for an antibiotic, has become resistant. These type of bacteria existed long before the discovery and development of modern antibiotics.
(Certain micro-organisms are capable of producing antibiotics itself, and thereby have influences on the bacteria in the environment. These bacteria try to acquire protective characteristics to survive.)
Acquired resistance can be divided into below with regard to the mechanisms:
(Certain micro-organisms are capable of producing antibiotics itself, and thereby have influences on the bacteria in the environment. These bacteria try to acquire protective characteristics to survive.)
Acquired resistance can be divided into below with regard to the mechanisms:
- Changes in the genetic material (DNA) can lead to a decreased ability of antibiotic to bind to the receptor in the bacterium, or may inhibit the uptake by the bacteria of the antibiotic. These mutations may occur spontaneously and continuously, and during antibiotic therapy lead to selection of resistant mutants.
- Incorporation of genetic material from another micro-organism. Complex mechanisms such as enzymes, that lead to degradation or modification of an antibiotic, can not occur during treatment, the genetic material therefor, the genes are to be recorded from other micro-organisms. Bacteria have a comprehensive tool with which they can include genes, such can incorporate into their chromosomal DNA and associate with other resistance genes, so that a bacterium called multiresistant.
A funny movie about resistant antibiotics