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Antibiotics are generally targets a potential life process of pathogen. If a pathogen mutates its protein for example it may be complete different than the previous and may even changes its function slightly different. Thus the antibiotic that are acting on the previous form of a protein acts no more on this newly mutated protein because of its specificity.

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What are some ways that mutations in some living things are helpful to those organisms but harmful to humans?

Mutations in bacteria that confer antibiotic resistance help the bacteria survive and thrive in their environment, but can be harmful to humans if these bacteria cause infections that are difficult to treat. Similarly, mutations in insects that confer resistance to pesticides help them survive, but can be harmful to humans as it makes pest control more difficult.


Why do bacteria require a mutrogen source?

Bacteria require a mutagen source to induce genetic mutations that can provide them with adaptive advantages, such as antibiotic resistance or the ability to metabolize new substrates. Mutagens can cause changes in DNA sequences, leading to phenotypic variations that may enhance survival in changing environments. Moreover, studying mutagens helps researchers understand the mechanisms of mutation and evolution in microbial populations, which can inform antibiotic development and disease control strategies.


Can Mutations cause infections?

Mutations themselves do not cause infections; rather, they can occur in pathogens like bacteria and viruses, potentially affecting their ability to infect hosts. For example, mutations may enhance a virus's transmissibility or resistance to treatments, leading to more severe outbreaks. In this way, while mutations are a factor in the evolution of infectious agents, the actual infections are caused by the pathogens themselves, not the mutations directly.


Why aren't all mutations bad?

Mutations are unnatural changes in the body or behavior. They are not always bad. For instance, the skin of the poison tree frog is not really bad at all. It rubs itself on poison leaves and mutated itself not to be affected.


Why are some bacteria resistant to antibiotic drugs?

Bacteria can become resistant by many means. Antibiotics can affect several different parts of a bacterium such as cell wall synthesis (the penicillins affect this) or protein synthesis and several others. If for example an antibiotic affects cell wall synthesis by inhibiting an enzyme then if the bacteria mutates to overproduce that enzyme then it becomes resistant to that antibiotic at therapeutic concentrations. Or the bacteria could mutate so it does not need that exact enzyme any more and the antibiotic becomes useless. Some of the dangerous pathogens like methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have acquired resistance to several antibiotics by selective mutation (otherwise known as evolution). Some bacteria are not so good at mutating or are less dangerous as pathogens so they cannot acquire resistance at all or as quickly.Other bacteria can produce spores which are very tough capsules which contain all the genes of a bacterial species but are not viable cells, the spores are highly resistant to antibiotics because they are very thick and do not carry out normal cellular functions so they are not affected by antibiotics. Anthrax and Clostridium dificille can form spores.Some bacteria like Listeria and in some cases Staphylococcus aureus can get inside the human cell like a virus and become resistant to the immune system and also to drugs because it is harder for drugs to get inside a human cell.

Related Questions

What are some ways that mutations in some living things are helpful to those organisms but harmful to humans?

Mutations in bacteria that confer antibiotic resistance help the bacteria survive and thrive in their environment, but can be harmful to humans if these bacteria cause infections that are difficult to treat. Similarly, mutations in insects that confer resistance to pesticides help them survive, but can be harmful to humans as it makes pest control more difficult.


A mutation that causes antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a what mutation?

Missense mutation Nonsense mutation Frameshift insertion Frameshift deletion All may cause antibiotic resistance in bacteria


What is the problem with bacteria resistant to antibiotics?

Because if some bacteria survive the antibiotics they become immune to that type of antibiotic. Then if you pass on the bacteria again the next person will not know which type of antibiotic to use.


How can one be antibiotic resistant?

People do not develop a resistance to antibiotics, instead bacteria in the body resist the effects of the antibiotic. The bacteria changes somehow and instead of the antibiotic eliminating it, the bacteria survives and continues to cause harm and infection. Some bacteria neutralizes the antibiotic, others fight and flush out the antibiotic, and the others modify where the antibiotic goes.


How does hand hygiene fight antibiotic resistance?

because our hands life many microbes so you must wash your hands mostly. they cause antibiotic resistance when you eat some microbes, you feel stomach pain you eat small dose of antibiotics then bacteria become resistance the some antibiotics


Why is it a problem in medicine for anibiotic resistance?

Antibiotic resistance happens when taking antibiotics more that it is required, high frequent doses will cause bacterial antibiotic resistance because in this case bacteria will get use into certain drug and so become ineffective. Resistance also happen when the patient has frequent illness, which make him/her taking the antibiotic for a long period of time. At that point patient should go the physician to describe him/her another effective drug, in order to kill bacteria and stop the illness.


Can antibiotics cause resistance in bacteria?

A simple way to explain it is:When you have an infection and take antibiotics for it, the weaker bacteria are killed first, with the stronger ones surviving, or taking longer to destroy. So when you don't take the full round of antibiotics, the stronger bacteria are the ones left in your body, and they are the ones that will continue to multiply, resulting in a bacteria resistant to the antibiotic. This is why you should always take the full prescribed course of antibiotics.Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, the body's natural defense system (the good bacteria) are destroyed along with the bad bacteria. This is why you should always eat yogurt with active cultures or drink buttermilk while on antibiotics - the active cultures put the "good" bacteria back in the body.


Do ciprofloxacin help with inflammation?

Depends on the cause of the inlammation - ciprofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic (it inhibits the DNA gyrase, an important enzyme for bacteria), so it might help if the inflammation is caused by bacteria without resistance against ciprofloxacin.


Some bacteria strains may acquire resistance to antibiotics and or the ability to cause disease by acquiring what?

Some bacteria strains may acquire resistance to antibiotics and/or cause a new disease by gaining spores from other bacteria.


Why aren't all mutations bad?

Mutations are unnatural changes in the body or behavior. They are not always bad. For instance, the skin of the poison tree frog is not really bad at all. It rubs itself on poison leaves and mutated itself not to be affected.


What is antibiotic resistance and how does it occur?

Bacteria and other microorganisms that cause infections are remarkably resilient and can develop ways to survive drugs meant to kill or weaken them. This antibiotic resistance, also known as antimicrobial resistance or drug resistance, is due largely to the increasing use of antibiotics.


Why are some bacteria resistant to antibiotic drugs?

Bacteria can become resistant by many means. Antibiotics can affect several different parts of a bacterium such as cell wall synthesis (the penicillins affect this) or protein synthesis and several others. If for example an antibiotic affects cell wall synthesis by inhibiting an enzyme then if the bacteria mutates to overproduce that enzyme then it becomes resistant to that antibiotic at therapeutic concentrations. Or the bacteria could mutate so it does not need that exact enzyme any more and the antibiotic becomes useless. Some of the dangerous pathogens like methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have acquired resistance to several antibiotics by selective mutation (otherwise known as evolution). Some bacteria are not so good at mutating or are less dangerous as pathogens so they cannot acquire resistance at all or as quickly.Other bacteria can produce spores which are very tough capsules which contain all the genes of a bacterial species but are not viable cells, the spores are highly resistant to antibiotics because they are very thick and do not carry out normal cellular functions so they are not affected by antibiotics. Anthrax and Clostridium dificille can form spores.Some bacteria like Listeria and in some cases Staphylococcus aureus can get inside the human cell like a virus and become resistant to the immune system and also to drugs because it is harder for drugs to get inside a human cell.