Explain how a population of antibiotic-resistant bacteria might develop from non-resistant bacteria.

  • There is genetic variation within the population of bacteria
  • The variation has occurred due to random genetic mutations
  • This variation means that a bacterium may have a mutation that gives it resistance to an antibiotic
  • When the antibiotic is taken, the resistant bacterium survives while the other bacteria are killed
  • The resistant bacterium goes on to replicate and passes its mutation on to its offspring
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