Which of these statements best describes the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance in bacteria?
A) For a particular antibiotic, all bacteria are either completely resistant or completely sensitive.
B) When a type of bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, it's resistant to all antibiotics.
C) Resistance is a matter of degrees; resistance can be partial or total, and resistance to each antibiotic is a separate trait.
D) Resistance to antibiotics is a trait that didn't exist before antibiotics were developed for pharmaceutical use.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Antibiotic resistance can vary from partial to total and can differ for each antibiotic. Bacteria can develop resistance to one or more specific antibiotics over time through genetic mutations or by acquiring resistance genes from other bacteria. It is not an all-or-nothing trait, and the degree of resistance can vary among different bacterial strains.

Which of These Statements Best Describes the Phenomenon of Antibiotic