Answer :
Final answer:
Natural selection leads to antibiotic-resistant strains in bacteria by allowing those with resistance to survive antibiotic treatment. They reproduce, increasing the prevalence of resistance in the population. This process showcases the rapid evolutionary changes that bacteria can undergo in response to environmental pressures such as antibiotics.
Explanation:
Natural Selection and Antibiotic Resistance
Natural selection is a process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. In the context of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, this process can lead to the dominance of resistant strains within a population.
Here's how it works:
- Within a population of bacteria, there is genetic variation due to mutations. Some bacteria may possess inherent traits that confer resistance to antibiotics.
- When a patient takes antibiotics, these drugs kill off non-resistant bacteria, but those with resistance survive.
- The surviving resistant bacteria then reproduce, increasing the proportion of resistant individuals in the next generation.
An example of this phenomenon is seen with the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (TB). Patients often take antibiotics to treat TB, but if the prescribed treatment is not completed or not effective, some bacteria can survive and reproduce, leading to a population dominated by resistant strains.
This process exemplifies how natural selection not only drives evolution but can also result in significant public health challenges due to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
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