1.2 Summary

In unit 1.2 we learned how antibiotics become resistant to a certain bacteria. If you take too much of the antibiotic then the bacteria may become immuned to the antibiotic therefore it becomes ineffective. We also talked about four common antibiotics that bacteria become resistant to. Penicillin is one that interferes with the synthesis of the cell wall. Tetracyclines bind to ribosomes causing them to prevent amino acids from forming. Fluoroquinolones interfere with the DNA replication. Sulfa Antibiotics inhibit a metabolic pathway for DNA synthesis and inhibits growth. In this unit we learned about conjugation, transformation, and transduction. We discussed what each step does in class. We played a game representing bacteria and antibiotics and how it would effect you when you didn't take your antibiotics regularly. 

Antibiotic Resistance

You're probably wondering, what is antibiotic resistance? Well, antibiotic resistance is when you consume an antibiotic that does not affect the bacteria. It is when the bacteria rejects the treatment. This can occur through many mechanisms. Sometimes an organism can have certain genes that destroy the antibiotic before it really has time to have an effect on the bacteria. It can also be resistant through mutations. Certain mutations can cause a change in the target protein by in which the antibiotic binds by modifying or eliminating the binding site. Another way an antibiotic may become resistant is through conjugation, transduction, and transformation. This can cause resistance because it can transfer resistant genes on to other bacteria into the plasmids. During conjugation, resistant genes are transferred from the plasmid through pilus, which connects the two cells together.  Conjugation is known as "cell sex". Transduction is when resistant genes are transferred from one cell to the other through bacteriophage. Then, during transformation bacteria incorporates the "naked" DNA outside the cell from the other bacteria with their DNA.