Imagine living in a world where people are dying from infections that used to be very easy to cure. The development of antibiotic-resistance among bacteria is a major issue in healthcare, but is widely misunderstood by the general public. Bacteria have differences at the genetic level compared to human eukaryotic cells. These differences can be exploited as potential antimicrobial targets but also allow bacteria to acquire resistance through changes in their molecular make-up. For this Discussion, you will investigate the changes that occur in the bacterial genome. Bacteria can adapt to their environments at an astonishing rate and during this Discussion, you will also examine how we as humans influence these changes at the level of the bacterias DNA sequence. Use the information from your research to answer the following questions: What are antibiotics? How can bacteria become resistant to antibiotics? Can this antibiotic resistance be spread between bacteria? What can we (humans) do to limit the spread of antibiotic-resistance among bacteria? The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that antibiotic resistance is a serious, worldwide threat to public health. In your opinion, what are the global implications of antibiotic resistance? Why are there less new antibiotics being made?
