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
MP
