The antibiotic penicillin works by inhibiting an enzyme involved in the synthesis of bacterial cell walls. A mutation in a bacterium causes changes in the amino acid sequence of this enzyme so that it no longer binds penicillin. Because of this mutation, bacterial cell wall formation is no longer inhibited by penicillin, creating a new mutant bacterial strain (#2). The parent bacterial strain (#1), however, does not have this mutation.

In an environment containing both strain #1 and strain #2 bacteria, what will happen to bacterial cells if penicillin is present?

A. Nothing, neither strain will be selected for or against.
B. Mutant bacteria will not grow normally in this environment.
C. Mutant bacteria will not form a normal cell wall in this environment.
D. Mutant bacteria will come to dominate the bacterial population in this environment.

In an environment containing both strain #1 and strain #2 bacteria, if penicillin is present, strain #1 bacteria will be inhibited and have difficulty forming a normal cell wall, while strain #2 bacteria will not be affected and will be able to grow normally.

Explanation:

In an environment containing both strain #1 and strain #2 bacteria, the presence of penicillin will have different effects on the two strains.

Strain #1, the parent bacterial strain without the mutation, will be inhibited by penicillin. This is because penicillin targets the enzyme involved in cell wall synthesis, and strain #1 bacteria have the normal form of this enzyme that can be inhibited by penicillin. As a result, strain #1 bacteria will have difficulty forming a normal cell wall and will not be able to grow normally in the presence of penicillin.

On the other hand, strain #2, the mutant bacterial strain with the mutation that prevents penicillin binding, will not be affected by penicillin. The mutation in the amino acid sequence of the enzyme involved in cell wall synthesis allows strain #2 bacteria to bypass the inhibitory effects of penicillin. As a result, strain #2 bacteria will be able to form a normal cell wall and grow normally in the presence of penicillin.

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