AN1IBIO1IC

RLSIS1ANCL
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
,89 breeder8
Bacteria reproduce
very quickly
Eschericia coli can
complete a life cycle in
30 minutes
4
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Sex in b,.9eri,
Bacteria do exchange genes forming new
combinations
Bacteria exchange genes is by conjugation
%his involves the transfer of genetic material via
a cytoplasmic bridge between the two organisms
%his can be done between unrelated species of
bacteria
#ecent studies on bacteria in the wild show that
it definitely occurs in the soil, in freshwater and
oceans and inside living organisms
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
1he m,i. bulle9
ntibiotics revolutionised medicine
%he first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by
lexander Fleming in 1929
It was later isolated by Florey and Chain
It was not extensively used until the 2nd World
War when it was used to treat war wounds
fter 2nd World War many more antibiotics were
developed
%oday about 150 types are used
Most are inhibitors of the protein synthesis,
blocking the 70S ribosome, which is characteristic
of prokaryotes
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Re8i89,n.e
It took less than 20 years for, bacteria to
show signs of resistance
$9aphylococcus aureus, which causes
blood poisoning and pneumonia, started to
show resistance in the 1950s
%oday there are different strains of $
aureus resistant to every form of
antibiotic in use
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
ul9iple re8i89,n.e
It seems that some resistance was already
naturally present in bacterial populations
%he presence of antibiotics in their
environment in higher concentrations
increased the pressure by natural
selection
#esistant bacteria that survived, rapidly
multiplied
%hey passed their resistant genes on to
other bacteria (both disease causing
pathogens and non-pathogens)
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
1r,n8po8on8 & In9eron8
#esistance genes are often associated
with transposons, genes that easily move
from one bacterium to another
Many bacteria also possess integrons,
pieces of DN that accumulate new genes
Gradually a strain of a bacterium can build
up a whole range of resistance genes
%his is 2ultiple resistance
%hese may then be passed on in a group
to other strains or other species
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
An9ibio9i.8 promo9e re8i89,n.e
If a patient taking a course of antibiotic
treatment does not complete it
Or forgets to take the doses regularly,
%hen resistant strains get a chance to build up
%he antibiotics also kill innocent bystanders
bacteria which are non-pathogens
%his reduces the competition for the resistant
pathogens
%he use of antibiotics also promotes antibiotic
resistance in non-pathogens too
%hese non-pathogens may later pass their
resistance genes on to pathogens
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
Re8i89,n.e e98 ,round
When antibiotics are used on a person,
the numbers of antibiotic resistant
bacteria increase in other members of the
family
In places where antibiotics are used
extensively
e.g. hospitals and farms
antibiotic resistant strains increase in
numbers
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS
An9ibio9i. u8e ,nd ,bu8e
'iral infections are not stopped by
antibiotics
Yet doctors still prescribe (or are coerced
into prescribing) antibiotics to treat them
2008 Paul Billiet ODWS