Why should we not overprescribe and overuse antibiotics?

Antibiotics are used for killing bacteria and therefore, it can act as a selection pressure. This means that the bacteria can mutate, in order to avoid being killed and this would be a favourable mutation, as only those bacteria that have this mutation will survive to reproduce. This selects out those bacteria with the mutation (and kills off all the ones without the mutation) and therefore: the antibiotic wil no longer work. Overuse of antibiotics exposes the bacteria already present in our body to the selection pressure and could potentially cause mutations to come about.

NR
Answered by Niva R. Biology tutor

3291 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

What does the nervous system consist of and explain the differences between the two.


How can antibacterial resistance be limited?


Gas exchange happens in the alveoli of the lungs. What are three adaptations of the alveoli that allow for this?


Explain the flow of blood through the heart and label the diagram (of the heart and its chambers)


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning